A Systematic Study of the Major Doctrines of the Bible
Prepared by and Published for The Department of Education
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
1952
ORIENTAL WATCHMAN PUBLISHING HOUSE
Salisbury Park, Poona, India
Dear Student:
We have come to the “last days,” and, if we are to have a part in the new earth with the redeemed of all ages we must study God’s word to know how to live in times like these. Time was when decisions could be made over a longer period of time, but today important decisions are made in split seconds. If our decisions are to be what we shall want them to be, we must know of a surety what we believe and why.
This new book, “Principles of Life From the Word of God,” has been written for the express purpose of giving you the facts upon which to make your everyday decisions and to solve life’s complex problems. It is written for you. The greater part of the evidences cited are from the Bible or the spirit of prophecy-our two main sources of divine wisdom.
The book is divided into sixteen units; these are not of equal length. There are one hundred twenty-two lessons. Neither are they of equal length. The lessons are set up in such a way as to be easily studied and understood: (1) If there is a memory verse it is boxed off at the beginning of the lesson. (2) Each lesson begins with a bold-faced statement taken in all but a few cases from the spirit of prophecy-this statement is the lesson in a nutshell. (3) A careful study of the subject usually under subtitle headings; and (4) a summarization of the subject, usually with spirit of prophecy statements. At the close of almost every lesson there are a few texts called “key” texts. The content of which you should put well in your memory.
This book is put in your hands with the sincere prayer that it will help you both in this life and in the life to come. Yours in the Master’s name. The Bible Doctrines Textbook Committee.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors of this book, Principles of Life Prom the Word of God, are especially indebted to the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for many of the fundamental beliefs held and taught by that church. They “were keen, noble, and true, . [and] ... searched for the truth as for hidden treasure!’ Commenting on their experience, Ellen G. White wrote:
“We would come together burdened in soul, praying that we might be one in faith and doctrine; for we knew that Christ is not divided. One point at a time was made the subject of investigation. The Scriptures were opened with a sense of awe. Often we fasted, that we might be better fitted to understand the truth. After earnest prayer, if any point was not understood it was discussed, and each one expressed his opinion freely. Then we would again bow in prayer, and earnest supplications went up to heaven that God would help us to see eye to eye, that we might be one as Christ and the Father are one. Many tears were shed.
We spent many hours in this way. Sometimes the entire night was spent in solemn investigation of the Scriptures, that we might understand the truth for our time. On some occasions the Spirit of God would come upon me, and difficult portions were made clear through God’s appointed way and then there was perfect harmony. We were all of one mind and one spirit.” Testimonies to Ministers, 24:2 to 25: 1.
Indebtedness is also expressed to the many who, through the years, have added to what was found in those early days; and, for the purposes of this book, special indebtedness is recognized for the labors of 0. A. Johnson and Charles A. Burman for their books in Bible Doctrines that have been “source books” for all others who have written on the subject The books of these two, together with others of shorter duration, have served our students up to the present time.
Principals of Life Prom the Word of God is the result of the cooperative efforts of a group selected by the General Conference Committee, presenting material from various sources. Valuable suggestions, both as to content and form, have come from teachers with a wealth of classroom experience, as well as from students who have used these lessons in mimeographed form. To all these acknowledgment is gratefully made.
Lowell R. Rasmussen, associate secretary of the Department of Education of the General Conference, was chosen by the General Conference Committee to guide and inspire the teachers and editors in their work. His services have been greatly appreciated by those charged with the direct responsibility of producing this book.
Indebtedness is recognized to the several academies and union conferences which loaned the services of the teachers in the preparation of the material, and especially to Horace E. Weaver, who served as senior member of the committee. To H. T. Terry, whose untiring services were appreciated; to D. W. Curry, who was able to work with the committee but one short month; and to Robert Francis, to whom the committee is especially grateful for his suggestions of many of the illustrations. Special obligation is recognized for the long and untiring hours of John M. Howell, who guided the activities of the committee, and who, besides carrying other heavy duties, edited the book in its present form, comparing, correcting, and guiding in the preparation of the manuscript. Since this is the first book on the doctrines of this denomination to be prepared under the auspices of the General Conference, a surveying committee, whose duty it has been to see that the work represents accurately the teachings of this denomination, was appointed. It consisted of A. V. Olson, chairman; Roger Altman, associate chairman; E. E. Roenfelt, secretary, H. F. Brown; D. A. Delafield; E. W. Dunbar; E. B. Hare; T. E. Lucas; D. E. Rebok; D. E. Robinson; G. E. Vandeman, and H. F, Yost. This committee has read carefully the lessons.
Credit must also be given for the special statements of fundamental belief which precede the several units. These were taken from the Church Manual, published by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, pages 29 to 36. Certain conjunctions were eliminated to make the paragraphs more adequate for the places in which they were used.
Indebtedness is also acknowledged to the Ellen G. White Publications and to the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary for the use of their files and library facilities, as well as to the General Conference Committee which has so willingly and faithfully supported the department in its efforts to present this valuable material to the young people of the denomination, and to any others who may wish to make use of it.
That it may be a source of special help to all who have the opportunity of using it, especially to the youth of this great movement in preparing them for their lifework and for a home in those “mansions” Jesus has gone to prepare, is the desire of-
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS.
To the Student
Acknowledgments
Table of Contents
A. The Bible Is the Word of God
B. “The Whole Family in Heaven and Earth”
7. The Godhead or Trinity
8. “My Father and Your Father
9. The Angels
10. The Beginning of Evil
11. Creation
12. The Fall of Man
13. The Whole Family in Heaven and Earth
C. “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”
14. Deliverance From Sin Promised
15. Deliverance Through Christ
16. The Love of God
17. Predestination-Free Choice
18. Repentance
19. Confession
20. Forgiveness
21. Born Again
22. Baptism
23. “The Way, the Truth, and the Life”
D. “The Righteousness of God”
24. Faith
25. Righteousness by Faith
26. Sanctification
27. Christian Growth
28. Prayer
29. “The Righteousness of God.”
E. Man’s Duty to God
30. Origin and Purpose of God’s Law
31. God’s Eternal Law
32. Jesus and the Commandments
33. The First and Second Commandments
34. The Third Commandment
35. The Fourth Commandment
36. The Seal of God
37. Sunday in the New Testament
38. Man’s Duty to God
F. Man’s Duty to Man
39. The Fifth Commandment
40. The Sixth Commandment
41. The Seventh Commandment
42. The Eighth Commandment
43. The Ninth Commandment
44. The Tenth Commandment
45. Man’s Duty to man
G. Law and Grace
46. The Two Laws
47. Jesus and the Ceremonial Law
48. The Two Covenants
49. Not Under the Law but Under Grace
50. Law and Grace
H. Jesus Revealed in the Book of Daniel
51. Dare to Be a Daniel
52. The Ministry of Prophets
I. Jesus in the Sanctuary
J. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”
65. The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Seven Churches
66. The Seven Seals Opened
67. The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets
68. “The Dragon Was Wroth With the Woman”
69. The Leopard Beast of Revelation 13
70. “The Mark of the Beast”
71. The Two-Horned Beast
72. The First Angel’s Message
73. The Second Angel’s Message
74. The Third Angel’s Message
75. The Close of Probation
76. The Time of Trouble
77. The Seven Last Plagues
78. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”
K. Nature and Destiny of Man
79. The Nature of Man
80. Man in Death
81. The Resurrection
82. Spiritualism
83. The Punishment of the Wicked
84. The Nature and Destiny of Man
L. You Are Not Your Own
85. The Temple of the Holy Ghost
86. “What You Are to Eat
87. “What You Are to Drink
88. “What You Are to Wear
89. Where You Are to Go
90. What You Are to Do
91. You Are Not Your Own
M. The Christian Home
92. Marriage and the Home
93. Children in the Home
94. Home-Heaven on Earth
95. The Christian Home
N. You and Your Church
O. The Gift of the Spirit
106. The Early and the Latter Rain
107. The Gifts and the Fruit of the Holy Spirit
108. The Gift of Prophecy
109. The Sin That Will Not Be Forgiven
110. The Work of the Holy Spirit
111. The Gift of the Spirit
P. “Behold, I Come Quickly”
112. The Certainty of Jesus’ Return
113. Signs in the Heavens and Earth
114. Signs in the Social and Religious World
115. Signs in the Political and Economic World
116. “Knowledge Shall Be Increased
117. The Time and the Manner of His Coming
118. “Be You Also Ready“
119. What Will Happen When He Comes
120. One Thousand Years in Heaven
121. An Eternity on Earth
122. “Behold, I Come Quickly”
Bibliography
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, contain an all-sufficient revelation of His will to men, and are the only unerring rule of faith and practice.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works!” 2 Timothy 3:16,17.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1: 21.
The Bible is the most ancient and the most comprehensive history that men possess. It came fresh from the fountain of eternal truth, and throughout the ages a divine hand has, preserved its purity. It lights up the far-distant past, where human research in vain seeks to penetrate. In God’s word only do we behold the power that laid the foundations of the earth, and that stretched out the heavens. Here only do we find an authentic account of the origin of nations Here only is given a history of our race unsullied by human pride or prejudice-Education, 173:1.
Names of Our Bible
1. What are some of the names applied to our Bible?
The word “Bible” strictly employed is the title of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. It is derived from the Greek word Biblia--originating in biblos, the inner bark of papyrus (paper)-literally meaning “Little Books.” The term really means simply “books.” It does not appear as a title of the whole Christian Scriptures before the fifth century-James Hastings, A Dictionary of the Bible, article, “Bible.”
God Communicates With Man
3. In the beginning how did God communicate with man? Genesis 2:16, 17. He spoke to Adam and Eve directly.
4. Why was this direct communication broken? Genesis 3:1-9; Isaiah 59:2.
5. After sin broke direct communication with man, how did God make His will known? Numbers 12:6 (compare with Amos 3:7); Exodus 28:30 (compare with 1 Samuel 28:6); Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 1: 1, 2.
Writing the Bible
6. Before God’s revelations to man were put in written form, how were they made known to succeeding generations?
During the first twenty-five hundred years of human history, there was no written revelation. Those who had been taught of God, communicated their knowledge to others, and it was handed down from father to son, through successive generations. The preparation of the written word began in the time of Moses. Inspired revelations were then embodied in an inspired book. This work continued during the long period of sixteen hundred years,-from Moses, the historian of creation and the law, to John, the recorder of the most sublime truths of the gospel-The Great Controversy, Introduction, v: 2.
The antediluvians were without books, they had no written records; but with their great physical and mental vigor, they had strong memories, able to grasp and to retain that which was communicated to them, and in turn to transmit it unimpaired to their posterity-Patriarchs and Prophets, 93:1.
7. What provision did God make in order that His word might be preserved for all future generations? Numbers 33:2; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:2; Revelation 1:1, 19.
The Bible is a sacred library of sixty six small books.
This unique library is of divine origin. The Creator of the universe is the Author...
Some forty men-living In different generations, in different localities, and occupying various stations of life were chosen by the Lord to prepare the original manuscripts.
Genesis was written about 3,500 years ago, about 1500 BC; the Revelation was composed about AD 97, nearly 1,900 years ago. A period of approximately 1,600 years elapsed during the accomplishment of this great enterprise-Theodora S. Wangerin, Genesis to Revelation, Introduction, paragraphs 1-5.
8. With what care did the ancient scribes copy the Sacred Writings?
As a prevention against further errors the scribes counted the number of verses and even letters in the various books, and then made note of the middle verse, the middle word, and the middle letter of each book. If a scribe, after he had finished his work, could not make his count tally with these notations, there was some error in his copy of the manuscript, which must either be corrected or his copy discarded - Ira M. Price, The Ancestry of Our English Bible, 30:2.
The Old Testament Scriptures
9. How did Jesus show His approval of the Old Testament Scriptures? Mark 14:49; Luke 24:27; John 5:39.
10. How did Jesus divide the Scriptures of the Old Testament? Luke 24:44.
11. How many books are there in the Old Testament?
There are thirty-nine books in the Old Testament.
We find the name “Old Testament” first used in 2 Corinthians 3:14, where it refers to the old covenant given to Israeli and to the Sacred Books connected with it. To Ezra and his associates is generally attributed the work of first collecting and arranging the books of the Old Testament canon, about 457 BC. A few books may have been added later.
It is Interesting to note how the word “canon” came to be applied to the books of the Bible. Martin Anstey says: “The word ‘canon, means a rod, a rule, a standard, an authority. As applied to the books of the Old and New Testaments, it indicates that these writings and these alone constitute an exhaustive and an authoritative expression of the mind of God, an objective standard or rule of faith, and a final court of appeal, valid for all time in all matters pertaining to life and salvation. The word ‘canon’ as applied to the books of the Bible, indicates that these books are to be clearly distinguished, and definitely marked off, from all other literature as being of divine origin, and possessing divine authority.”-Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, 14:12, 3.
The New Testament Scriptures
12. What are the general divisions of the New Testament?
The New Testament consists of the four Gospels, one book of history, twenty-one epistles or letters, and one book of prophecy.
13. Were the New Testament writings recognized as part of the Scriptures by the apostles themselves? 2 Peter 3:15, 16.
Studying the Word
14. What is Paul’s counsel to youth concerning the Scriptures? 2 Timothy 2:15.
15. What is the greatest reason for the existence of the Scriptures? John 20:31.
16. Learn the books of the Bible m order. See Chart I.
Versions of the Bible
17. The Bible student should know something about at least a few of the older and most important translations or “versions” of the Bible.
There are two recent revisions of the Scriptures, the English Revised Version and the American Revised Version. The discovery of a number of ancient manuscripts, and a more accurate knowledge of the original texts, made a revision seem desirable; and in 1870, the work was undertaken by nearly one hundred men, the best who could be chosen for the purpose. In 1885, the English Revised Version was published, and the committee having that work in charge was disbanded. The American committee continued its study; and in 1901, the American Standard Revised Bible was published-Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, 16:2.
g. The Revised Standard Version, authorized by the National Council of Churches, representing forty Protestant organizations, is the work of thirty-two of the most eminent Bible scholars of America, under the chairmanship of Dr. Luther A. Wiegel of Yale University. This is not a translation, but a revision of the King James Version and the Revised and American Revised Versions of the Bible, using many documents supporting the Bible, discovered since the King James Version was made in 1611. The New Testament of this version appeared in 1946 and the Old Testament in 1952.
The Apocrypha
18. What is known as the “Apocrypha”?
While the voice of prophecy was not heard in Judea during the long period of four hundred years which marked the closing of the old dispensation, “the old literary instinct of the Jews asserted itself,” and many writings were produced. Some ... are valued as a history of the period.
Fourteen of these books, having the following titles, are known as the Apocrypha: First and Second Esdras, Tobit, Judith, portions of Esther not found in the Hebrew or Aramaic originals, The Wisdom of Solomon, Ecelesiasticus, Baruch. The Song of the Three Holy Children, The History of Susanna. Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, and First and Second Maccabees.
The name “Apocryphal’ is a Greek word meaning “hidden,” or “secret,” and was given these books because their authorship is unknown. The date of their writing is also a matter of doubt, though it is generally placed between the years 200 and 100 BC. While these Apocryphal books are found in the oldest copies of the Septuagint in existence. It is generally agreed that they were not included when the first Greek translation was made, and indeed were not added till between AD 300 and 400. Sidney Collett says: “Although there are in the New Testament about 263 direct quotations from, and about 370 allusions to, passages in the Old Testament, yet amongst all these there is not a single reference, either by Christ or His apostles, to the Apocryphal writings.” - Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, 120:3 to 121:2.
19. Why are the books of the Apocrypha rejected by Protestants?
They [the books of the Apocryphal Scriptures. Historical errors, utterly want [lack] the progressive plan and mutual interconnection of the Old Testament and New Testament, and evidently fictitious stories and speeches occur. - A. R. Fausset, Bible Encyclopedia, article, “Apocrypha.”
Consider This:
The Bible is the literature of a race – “the chosen literature of the chosen writers of the chosen nation.” We are in the habit of thinking of the Bible as one book; but really it is a good-sized library, with sixty-six books, written by many different men, of varied degrees of education and widely divergent surroundings and occupations during a time period extending from the days of Moses to near the close of the first century after Christ. However, the singular form of both the words “Bible” and “Scripture” “emphasizes the fact that, under the diversity of human authorship, there lies a wonderful unity, pointing to the operation of one directing Mind, which acted during more than a thousand consecutive years when these writings were being produced!”
The name “Bible,” meaning “the books,” is found nowhere in the Scripture Itself. It comes to us from the Latin biblia (books), which, in turn, came from the Greek biblia, the plural of biblion, which is the diminutive of biblos. The reason the Greeks called a book biblos (the singular form) was because the ancient books were written on material made from the biblus, or papyrus, reed. Just as we speak of the printed sheets of paper with the news printed on them as “the paper,” so they spoke of a scroll of biblus sheets with writing on them as “the biblos,” and a number of them would be biblia (plural).
It is thought that the Greek word for the name “Bible” was first applied to the sacred writings by John Chrysostom, patriarch of Constantinople from AD 398 to 404-Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, 13: 1 to 14: 1.
Texts to Remember:
Amos 3:7 Luke 24:44 2 Peter 1:21
Define or Identify:
Antediluvians
Canon
Scriptures Apocrypha
Communicate
Versions Bible
Oracles
Divisions of the Bible
Books of the Old Testament
Pentateuch
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
History
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Poetry
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
The Song of Solomon
Major Prophets
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Minor Prophets
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Books of the New Testament
Gospels
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
History
The Acts of the Apostles
Epistles
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy Titus
Philemon Hebrews James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Prophecy
The book of Revelation
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. 2 Timothy 3:16.
God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, nonetheless, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth. The Great Controversy, Introduction, vi:4.
God’s Messages to Man
1. What was the source of the Bible writers’ messages? 2 Chronicles 36:15; Isaiah 38:1; Jeremiah 1: 1, 2; Ezekiel 1: 1-3; Obadiah 1; Jonah 1: 1; 2 Peter 1: 21.
2. Could the prophets change the message from God to suit themselves? Numbers 22:18; 23:26.
3. What, prophet was corrected by God when he gave wrong counsel to a king? 2 Samuel 7:1-13.
4. How serious was it for a prophet to go contrary to God’s revealed will? 1 Kings 13:7-24.
5. By what means did God communicate with the prophets? Numbers 12:6.
Inspiration of the Scriptures
6. How much of the Scripture is inspired? 2 Timothy 3:16.
7. Of all the words spoken by God to man, what words only did God write with His own finger? Deuteronomy 4:12, 13; 9:10.
The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human composition. The Great Controversy, vi: 1.
8. What relation did Jesus, or “the Spirit of Christ,” have to the prophets of old? 1 Peter 1:10, 11.
9. The prophet John received the Revelation from Jesus through His angel. Revelation 1:1.
10. How is the unity of the Bible explained?
Here is a book coming from all quarters, written by men of all classes, scattered through a period of fifteen hundred years; and yet this book is fitted together as a wondrous and harmonious whole. How was it done? “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1: 21. One mind inspires the whole book, one voice speaks in it all, and it is the voice of God speaking with resurrection power. H. L. Hastings, Will the Old Book Stand? 22:2.
11. What is God able to do? Isaiah 46:9, 10.
a. Of the many prophecies fulfilled, the following are mentioned as outstanding examples:
(1) The Jews were to be “removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.” Deuteronomy 28:25.
(2) The Jews were to eat their own children (Deuteronomy 28:53) and this was fulfilled (2 Kings 6:25-29).
(3) The temple at Jerusalem was to be completely destroyed. Matthew 24:2. This was fulfilled under the Roman general Titus AD 70.
(4) There were to be “signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.” Luke 21:25.
(5) A great anti-Christian power was to “think to change times and laws.” Daniel 7:25.
Note the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church:
Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority-Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism, 174:5, 6.
b. Parts of prophecies not yet fulfilled:
12. How should we receive the Bible? 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
Consider This:
“The word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8. Says Dr. Cummings: “The empire of Caesar is gone; the legions of Rome are moldering in the dust; the avalanches that Napoleon hurled upon Europe have melted away; the pride of the Pharaohs is fallen; ... but the word of God still survives. All things that threatened to extinguish it have only aided it; and it proves every day how transient is the noblest monument that man can build, how enduring is the least word that God has spoken. Tradition has dug for it a grave; Intolerance has lighted for it many a fagot; many a Judas has betrayed it with a kiss; many a Peter has denied it with an oath; many a Demas has forsaken it; but the word of God still endures.” Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, ix:l.
Texts to Remember:
2 Timothy 3:16 1 Peter 1: 10, 11
Define or Identify:
Inspiration Prophecy Vision
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Corinthians 10:11. In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. - The Great Controversy. Introduction, vii: 1.
The Bible Imparts True Knowledge
1. What does Paul say about God’s judgments and ways? Romans 11: 33.
2. Through whom does God reveal His “secrets” (Deuteronomy 29:29) to man? Amos 3:7.
3. What are we told to do? 2 Timothy 2:15.
4. May we have confidence in the knowledge which comes to us through the Bible? Proverbs 22:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. ‘
There is no sure doctrine but such as is conformable to the word of God. This word is the only truth; it is the sure rule of all doctrine and of all life, and can never fail or deceive us. -J. H. Merle d’Aubigne, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, Volume 4, 59:1
What Does the Bible Do?
5. How does the Bible help us? 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
6. What is the word of God able to do? Hebrews 4:12, last part.
In all ages, philosophers and teachers have been presenting to the world theories by which to satisfy the soul’s need. Every heathen nation has had Its great teachers and religious systems offering some other means of redemption than Christ, turning the eyes of men away from the Father’s face, and filling their hearts with fear of Him who has given them only blessing.... it is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can. Christ came that He might re-create the image of God in man; and whoever turns men away from Christ is turning them away from the source of true development; he is defrauding them of the hope and purpose and glory of life. He is a thief and a robber-The Desire of Ages, 478:2.
The Bible Reveals Christ
7. Of whom did Moses and the prophets write? John 1:45.
8. Of whom do the Scriptures testify? John 5:39.
9. Where is the promise of a Redeemer first revealed in the Bible? Genesis 3:15.
10. In what prophecy are Christ’s life, suffering, and death touchingly foretold? Isaiah 53.
Like the scarlet thread that runs through every inch of rope in the British navy, like the melody of a beautiful song, like the theme of a great masterpiece, so is Jesus in the Scriptures. He is the author and the hero, the beginning and the ending of your Holy Bible. Bible Readings for the Home, 41:4.
God’s Word to Become a Part of Us
11. What did Christ declare His Father’s commandment to be? John 12:50.
12. What are the words of Christ said to be? John 6:63, 68.
13. What lesson was the feeding of the children of Israel with manna intended to teach? Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4.
14. What did Jesus declare Himself to be? John 6:35.
15. After making this declaration about Himself, what did He suggest that men should do? John 6:57, 58.
16. How did He explain the symbols He had used regarding eating His flesh and drinking His blood? John
6:63.
Consider This:
First of all, we should read the Bible to satisfy our soul hunger. As we read God’s written word to us, and open our minds to receive His thoughts, He will speak to us as truly as He spoke to David, and to Isaiah, and to Daniel. We need to know Him, and we may know Him best through His word-Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, ix: 2.
Born in the East, and clothed in Oriental form and Imagery, the Bible walks the ways of all the world with familiar feet, and enters land after land to find its own everywhere. It has learned to speak in hundreds of languages to the heart of man. It comes into the palace to tell the monarch that he is the servant of the Most High, and into the cottage to assure the peasant that he is the son of God. Children listen to Its stories with wonder and delight, and wise men ponder them as parables of life. It has a word of peace for the time of peril, a word of comfort for the day of calamity, a word of light for the hour of darkness. Its oracles are repeated in the assembly of the people, and Its counsels whispered in the ear of the lonely. The wise and the proud tremble at its warnings, but to the wounded and penitent. It has a mother’s voice. The wilderness and the solitary place have been made glad by it, and the fire on the hearth has lighted the reading of Its well-worn pages. It has woven itself into our deepest affections, and colored our dearest dreams; so that love and friendship, sympathy and devotion, memory and hope, put on the beautiful garments of Its treasured speech, breathing of frankincense and myrrh. Above the cradle and beside the grave its great words come to us, uncalled. They fill our prayers with power larger than we know, and the beauty of them lingers in our ears long after the sermons which they have adorned have been forgotten. They return to us swiftly and quietly, like birds flying from far away. They surprise us with new meanings, like springs of water breaking forth from the mountain beside a long-forgotten path. They grow richer, as pearls do when they are worn near the heart. No man is poor or desolate who has this treasure for his own. Henry van Dyke.
Texts to Remember: Deuteronomy 29:29 John 5:39
1 Corinthians 10:11 Amos 3:7
John 6:63
Define or Identify:
Admonition Ensamples Reproof
Doctrine
Fundamental Truth
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Psalm 33:16, 9.
The work of creation can never be explained by science. What science can explain the mystery of life? The theory that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence is without foundation. In the formation of our world, God was not indebted to pre-existing matter. On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, are not only the work of His hand; they came into existence by the breath of His mouth. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, 258:3,4.
Creative and Upholding Power of the Word
The same creative energy that brought the world into existence is still exerted in upholding the universe and continuing the operations of nature-Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 185:1
The Word Was Christ
4. What is the Word declared to be? John 1: 1.
5. Who was with God the Father in the beginning at creation? John 1:1, 2.
6. By whom were all things made? John 1: 3, 10.
7. What was in Him (the Word)? John 1: 14.
Christ, the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the Eternal Father, one in nature, in character, in purpose! The only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God - Patriarchs and Prophets, 34: 1.
8. What was said regarding Jesus’ words? Matthew 7:29; Luke 4:32.
9. Examples illustrating the power of Christ’s word:
10. Examples illustrating the power of His word as spoken by His followers:
Cleansed and Kept by His Word
11. How are we cleansed from sin? Psalm 119:9; John 15:3.
12. After being cleansed, how are we kept from again falling into sin? Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:4; Romans 1: 16, 17; 1 Peter 1: 5.
13. If obeyed, what will the word of God do for the believer? John 17:17.
Consider This:
The Sufficing, Bible
When I am tired, the Bible is my bed;
Or in the dark, the Bible is my light. When I am hungry, it is vital bread;
Or fearful, it is armor for the fight. When I am sick, ‘tis healing medicine;
Or lonely, thronging friends I find therein.
If I would work, the Bible is my tool;
Or play, it is a harp of happy sound. If I am ignorant, it is my school;
If I am sinking, it is solid ground.
It I am cold, the Bible is my fire;
And it is wings, It boldly I aspire.
Should I be lost, the Bible is my guide;
Or naked, It is raiment rich and warm.
Am I Imprisoned? It is ranges wide;
Or tempest-tossed? a shelter from the storm.
Would I adventure, It is a gallant sea;
Or would I rest, It is a flowery lea.
Does gloom oppress? the Bible is a sun;
Or ugliness? it is a garden fair.
Am I athirst? how cool Its currents run.
Or stifled? what a vivifying air!
Since thus thou gives of thyself to me,
How should I give myself, great Book, to thee?
Amos R. Wens.
Texts to Remember:
Psalm 33:6, 9 Psalm 119:9, 11 John 1:1-3, 14
Define or Identify:
Creation Power Word
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.
It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light, and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought, and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help, we are to form our opinions for ourselves, as we are to answer for ourselves before God. The Great Controversy. 598:2.
You Can Understand the Bible
A true knowledge of the Bible can be gained only through the aid of that Spirit by whom the word was given. Education, 189:2.
Principles of Bible Study
8. Of what value is Bible study? John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
9. How important was God’s word to Job? Job 23:12.
10. What noble example of Bible study is recorded in the Bible? Acts 17:11.
11. What should be our purpose in the study of the Bible? 2 Timothy 2:15.
The Bible points the way from a lost, sinful world to God’s eternal kingdom of glory.
The student of the Bible should be taught to approach it in the spirit of a learner. We are to search its pages, not for proof to sustain our opinions, but in order to know what God says. Education, 189: 1.
12. How are we to arrive at a correct interpretation of Bible truth? Isaiah 28:10; 1 Corinthians 2:13.
The study of the Bible demands our most diligent effort and persevering thought. As the miner digs for the golden treasure in the earth, so earnestly, persistently, must we seek for the treasure of God’s word. Education, 189:1
13. As we read the Bible, what else should we do? 1 Timothy 4:15.
In daily study the verse-by-verse method is often most helpful. Let the student take one verse, and concentrate the mind on ascertaining the thought that God has put into that verse for him, and then dwell upon the thought until it becomes his own. One passage thus studied until its significance is clear, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view, and no positive instruction gained. Education, 189:4.
14. As we study God’s word, for what should we pray? Psalm 119:18; James 1:5, 6.
Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before opening Its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given Jesus will see us in the secret places of prayer, if we will seek Him for light, that we may know what is truth. Angels from the world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance. Steps to Christ, 96:1.
15. Of what personal benefit is the study of the Bible to the Christian? Psalm 119:9, 11.
Faith in God’s word, prayerfully studied and practically applied, will be our shield from Satan’s power, and will bring us off conquerors through the blood of Christ. Messages to Young People, 61:2.
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures, and who have received the love of the truth, will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. The Great Controversy, 625:3.
Suggested Methods of Bible Study:
Angels who are ever before the throne of God cover their faces as they sing His praise. We should shut out of our minds all worldly thoughts when we open the pages of the Book.
2. Read it slowly.
Let its truths have-time to take root. “Be still, and know” [Psalm 46:10], says the Mighty One. Be quiet, unhurried, that you may hear His voice. Only so can you know your Bible. “The Bible in the hand won’t do; the Bible in the head won’t do; but the Bible in the heart means eternal life.”
3. Read it submissively.
The Bible is God’s message to you. Through its pages, He will speak to-your heart, leading you into all truth. Come to this reading in a submissive, teachable, obedient spirit, and you will be truly taught of Him. “If any man wills to do His will,” said Jesus, “he shall know of the teaching.” [The Modern Reader’s Bible, Moulton, John 7:17.]
4. Read it prayerfully.
“When you are reading a book in a dark room, and come to a difficult part, you take it to a window to get more light. So take our Bible to Christ.” Think not so much of the number of chapters and verses as of your need, and the help which your Father is waiting to send you through His word. And remember that your progress in comprehension of the Bible will be measured by your earnestness in prayer.
5. Read it daily.
“I am sorry for the men who do not read the Bible every day,” said President Wilson. “Today,” is the word of inspiration. “Today hear His voice” - and every day. Do not miss one, or say to yourself, “Tomorrow.” What if, for you, tomorrow should not come?
6. Read it first.
“The Bible ought to have the best time in the day; and for most men, the best time in the day is the early morning hour.” No matter what other books press their claims upon your time and thought, do not open one till you have spent some time with the Bible.
7. Read it last.
Come to the Book at nightfall. The day may bring temptation and defeat, toll and weariness, grief and humiliation. Whatever has come, we still need that which Jesus alone can bestow. “Come unto Me and I will give” [Matthew 11:28], is His gracious invitation. There is only one condition-Come. And how better can we come to Him than to sit down for a little space with His word, telling Him our heart’s need, and listening to His message to us?
8. Read it on the Sabbath.
How much better we should know the Bible if we read it more upon the Sabbath! And we should keep the Sabbath better it we read the Bible more. Sometimes we excuse ourselves for not reading God’s word, on the plea of lack of time; but “there time to read upon the Sabbath day.”-Adelaide Bee Evans, The Bible Year, x:1 to xi: 2.
Texts to Remember: Isaiah 28:10
2 Timothy 2:15
Define or Identify:
Commentary Interpretation Study
Compare Precept
Understand Concentrate
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
It is proper and right to read the Bible; but your duty does not end there; for you are to search its pages for yourselves. The knowledge of God is not to he gained without mental effort, without prayer for wisdom in order that you may separate from the pure grain of truth the chaff with which men and Satan have misrepresented the doctrines of’ truth. Satan and his confederacy of human agents have endeavored to mix the chaff of error with the wheat of truth. We should diligently sock for the hidden treasure, and seek wisdom from heaven in order to separate human inventions from the divine commands. The Holy Spirit will aid the seeker for great and precious truths which relate to the plan of redemption. I would impress upon all the fact that a casual reading of the Scriptures is not enough. We must search, and this means the doing of all the word implies. As the miner eagerly explores the earth to discover its veins of gold, so you are to explore the word of God for the hidden treasure that Satan has so long sought to hide from man. The
Lord says, “If any man wills to do His will, he shall know of the teaching.” John 7:17, RV. Fundamentals of Christian Education”, 307:2.
How We Got Our Bible
Inspiration of the Bible
The Purpose of the Bible
Power of the Word of God
How to Study the Bible
1. Who wrote “in which [in the Scriptures] are some things hard to be understood”?
2. Who is to “guide” us into all truth? Be specific.
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
“Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life,” is counsel for youth.
13. “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10, 11.
14. “For, the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost!” 2 Peter 1: 21.
The Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father, a personal, spiritual Being, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite in wisdom and love; the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal Father, through whom all things were created and through whom the salvation of the redeemed hosts will be accomplished. The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead, the great regenerating power in the work of redemption.
Jesus Christ is very God, being of the same nature and essence as the Eternal Father. While retaining His divine nature He took upon Himself the nature of the human family, lived on the earth as a man, exemplified in His life as our Example the principles of righteousness, attested His relationship to God by many mighty miracles, died for our sins on the cross, was raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father, where He ever lives to make intercession for us.
God “only hath immortality.” 1 Timothy 6:16. Mortal man possesses a nature inherently sinful and dying. Eternal life is the gift of God through faith in Christ. Romans 6:23. “He that bath the Son hath life!’ 1 John 5:12. Immortality is bestowed upon the righteous at the Second Coming of Christ, when the righteous dead are raised from the grave and the living righteous translated to meet the Lord. Then it is that those accounted faithful “put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-55.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14.
The Lord our God is one Lord. Deuteronomy 6.4.
Three distinct agencies, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, work together for human beings. They are united in the work of making the church on earth like the church in heaven. They place the resources of heaven at the disposal of those who Will appreciate and impart these spiritual treasures, multiplying them by using them to the glory of God. Every diligent effort to improve adds to the gifts we have. The powers of heaven work with human beings on the plan of multiplication. Manuscript, April 19, 1900.
Christ, the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the Eternal Father one in nature, in character, in purpose, the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. Patriarchs and Prophets, 34:1.
The Unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Deuteronomy 6:4; John 10:30; Ephesians 4:5, 6.
While God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three separate and distinct beings, yet they are “one in nature, in character, in purpose” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 34:1), working in such close relationship as to be one. Moses endeavored to explain this truth to Israel when he said, “The Lord our God is one Lord!” Deuteronomy 6:4.
The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and Christ are one. The Ministry of Healing, 422:1.
It is the same God from whom, through whom, and by whom are all things, who is at once the Father who provides, the Son who accomplishes, and the Spirit who applies, redemption. John D. Davis, The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, article, “God.”
The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy, Spirit gave Themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption. Counsels on Health, 222:2.
3. How did the three members Of the Godhead work together in the creation of the world? Genesis 1:2,26; Hebrews 1: 1, 2.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one in purpose and plan for our salvation.
The Father is the source, the Son the intermediary, and the Holy Spirit is the medium through which the creation came into being. LeRoy E. Froom, The Coming of the Comforter, 49: 1.
4. How do they work together in the plan of redemption?
In the redemption of sinful man the Father gives, the Son yields, and the Holy Spirit impresses.
5. In the following texts what characteristic do you find possessed by each member of the Godhead? John 3:16; Ephesians 5:2; Romans 15:30.
God, The Father
6. How are we to address the First Person of the Godhead? Matthew 6:91.
7. What are some of the offices of the Father as presented in the Scriptures? Genesis 1:1; Daniel 7:91, 10.
8. What does God have in Himself? John 5:26.
9. Does God have a personality? The Father and the Son each have a personality. Testimonies, volume 9, 68:2.
God, The Son
10. Who is Jesus, what positions does He occupy, and what has He done?
“The Word,” “all things were made by Him.” John 1:1-3.
“The Word was made flesh.” John 1: 14.
“The brightness of His [Father’s] glory.”, Hebrews 1:1-3.
“The Apostle and High Priest,” Hebrews 3: 1.
“The precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19.
“An advocate with the Father.” 1 John 2: 1.
“Faithful and True. The Word of God.” Revelation 19:1116.
11. Compare the Son with the Father. John 14:28; Hebrews 1:2, 3.
12. What valuable gift did the Son receive from the Father? John 5:26; 10:17, 18.
13. How did Jesus address the Father? John 17:11, 21, 24, 25.
As recorded in the Gospels, Jesus, when referring to God, used the expression “My Father” fifty seven times.
God, The Holy Spirit
14. What does the Holy Spirit do? Genesis 1:2; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:8, 13, 14.
15. In harmony with what does He work? Isaiah 8:20.
Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, who would come, with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power. The Desire of Ages, 671:2.
The operations of the Spirit are always in harmony with the written word. The Acts of the Apostles, 284:2.
16. Study the following references carefully and decide whether or not the Holy Spirit has a personality:
We need to realize that the Holy Spirit is as much a person as God is a person. Ellen G. White, Manuscript 66, 1899.
The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. The Desire of Ages, 669:2; also Review and Herald, Nov. 19,1908.
17. Is it necessary to Understand or define the Holy Spirit?
It is not essential for us to be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is.
The nature of the Holy Spirit is a mystery. Men cannot explain it, because the Lord has not revealed it to them. Men having fanciful views may bring together passages of Scripture and put a human construction on them; but the acceptance of these views will not strengthen the church. Regarding such mysteries, which are too deep for human understanding, silence is golden. The Acts of the Apostles, 51:3; 52:1.
18. Who “moved” upon “the holy men of God” to write the Prophecies? 2 Peter 1: 21.
Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Deuteronomy 6:4 Ephesians 4:5, 6 Hebrews 1: 1, 2 John 3:12
Define or Identify: Godhead
Omnipotent
Omniscient Mystery
Omnipresent Trinity
He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:8.
The more we study the divine character in the light of the cross, the more we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice, and the more clearly we discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite, and a tender pity surpassing a mother’s yearning sympathy for her wayward child. Steps to Christ, 18:0.
A Personal Being
1. Speaking with the Samaritan woman, how did Jesus refer to the Father? John 4:24.
The mighty power that works through all nature and sustains all things is not, as some men of science represent, merely an all-pervading principle, an actuating energy. God is a Spirit; yet He is a personal Being - for so He has revealed Himself. The Ministry of Healing, 413:1. (See Jeremiah 10:10, ll.)
2. Has man ever seen God? Exodus 33:20-23; 1 Timothy 6:16.
3. Does God have a definite form? Genesis 1: 26, 27; Daniel 7:9, 13.
Man was to bear God’s Image, both in outward resemblance and in character. Christ alone is “the express Image” (Hebrews 1:3) of the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God. He was holy and happy in bearing the Image of God, and in perfect obedience to His will-Patriarchs and Prophets, 45:2.
4. What do the following texts reveal about God?
5. What is said of Jesus’ resemblance to the Father? Colossians 1:15; Hebrews L1-3.
6. How far should we go in seeking to understand the mystery of God’s being?
Deuteronomy 29:29.
The love of God was revealed in the life of Jesus-the “express image” of His Father.
“Those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever;” but “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” Deuteronomy 29:29. The revelation of Himself that God has given in His word is for our study. This we may seek to understand. But beyond this we are not to penetrate. The highest intellect may tax itself until it is wearied out in conjectures regarding the nature of God; but the effort will be fruitless. This problem has not been given us to solve. No human mind can comprehend God. Let not finite man attempt to interpret Him. Let none indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Here silence is eloquence. The Omniscient One is above discussion. Testimonies, Volume 8, 279:1.
Characteristics Revealed
7. On Mount Sinai what characteristics of God were impressed upon Moses? Exodus 34:15, 7.
8. How much may we depend upon God? Deuteronomy 10:17, 18; 34:4; James 1:17.
9. What is the basis of all God’s dealings with His creatures? John 3:16; 1 John 4:8.
10. Who only has immortality? 1 Timothy 6:16.
11. What does the Father have in Himself and what did He give to the Son? John 5:26.
12. How is the true God distinguished from false gods? Isaiah 40:26-28; 45:11,12; Jeremiah 10:10-12.
How God Is Revealed
13. In whom is a perfect revelation of the Father seen? Matthew 11:27; John 14:8-11; Hebrews 1: 2, 3.
“His name shall be called Emmanuel, God with us” [Matthew 1:23, margin]. From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was “the Image of God” [2 Corinthians 4:4], the Image of His greatness and majesty, “the outshining of His glory” [Hebrews 1:3. See New Testament in Basic English]. It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love-to be “God with us.”
By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels.-The Desire of Ages, 19:1, 2.
It is not enough to possess a theoretical or even a Biblical knowledge of God. We must know Him as a personal Friend. It is our privilege to know Him through Bible study, through the revelation of nature, and, above all, through personal contact in prayer. This is a daily experience.
Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit. But those who assemble to worship Him should put away every evil thing. Unless they worship Him in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness, their coming together will be of no avail. Prophets and Kings, 50: 1.
Remember:
Though God is “the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity,” yet:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 34:15, 7
John 14:8, 9
1 John 4:8
John 4:24
Romans 1: 16, 17
Define or Explain: A personal being Deity
“Express image”
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14.
The connection of the visible with the invisible world, the ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil spirit4, are plainly revealed in the Scriptures, and inseparably interwoven with human history. There in a growing tendency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the holy angels that “minister for them who shall he heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1: 14), are regarded by many as the spirits of the dead. But the Scriptures not only teach the existence of angels, both good and evil, but present unquestionable proof that these are not the disembodied spirits of dead men. The Great Controversy, 51:1.
Nature of Angels
He would sooner send every angel out of glory to the relief of faithful souls, to make a hedge about them, than have them deceived and led away by the lying wonders of Satan. Early Writings, 88:1.
6. Why did Jesus say, “Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones”? Matthew 18: 10. Angels have been assigned to work with us if we are willing to follow God’s clear plan.
Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her she would have a Son, Jesus.
7. Instances of angel deliverance:
8. Instances of angels’ talking with human beings:
9. What important work will the angels have in connection with the coming of Christ? Matthew 24:30, 31.
10. How many of the heavenly angels will accompany Jesus when He comes in glory? Matthew 25:31; Revelation 8: 1.
When the Lord appears, He comes with all the holy angels with Him. Matthew 25:31. When all the heavenly harpers leave the courts above to come to this earth with their divine Lord as He descends to gather the fruit of His redeeming work, will there not be silence in heaven? The length of this period of silence, if we consider it prophetic time, would be about seven days. The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 473:3.
The Angels That Sinned
11. What did God do to the angels that sinned? Revelation 12:7-9.
12. For what are the sinful angels being reserved? 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.
13. What is the work of Satan, the leader of the evil angels, and, therefore, of the evil angels themselves? Mark 1:13; 1 Peter 5:8.
14. On what condition will the devil flee? James 4:7.
15. By what agencies are the nations to be gathered together to “the battle of that great day of God Almighty”? Revelation 16:13, 14.
Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Psalm 8:4, 5
Matthew 24:30, 31 Hebrews 1: 13, 14 Revelation 5:11
Define or Identify:
Angel
Messenger Reaper
Cherubim Seraphim
Patriarchs and Prophets, 33:1 to 43:1
To many minds, the origin of sin and the reason for its existence are a source of great perplexity. They ace the work of evil, with its terrible results of woe and desolation, and they question how all this can exist under the sovereignty of One who is infinite in wisdom, in power, and in love
It is impossible to explain the origin of sin so as to give a reason for its existence. Yet enough may he understood concerning both the origin and the final disposition of sin, to make fully manifest the justice and benevolence of God in all His dealings with evil. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it, is to defend it. Could excuse for it he found, or cause he shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin. The Great Controversy, 492:1,2.
Principles of God’s Government
The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with Its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of lover-service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service. Patriarchs and Prophets, 34:21.
Who Sinned First
3. With what member of the angelic host did sin originate? Ezekiel 28:12-15; John 8:44; 1 John 3:8.
4. What group of created beings sinned with this heretofore covering cherub? 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:7.
5. Has Satan always been a sinful being? Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:14, 15; John 8:44. “And [Satan] abode not in the truth.” John 8:44.
6. Note carefully the description of Lucifer, now Satan, but then a covering cherub, as given in Ezekiel 28:12-17.
7. What desire led Satan to revolt against the authority of God? Isaiah 14:13, 14.
Little by little, Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation. Not content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Patriarchs and Prophets, 35:2.
8. What led Satan to harbor envy, jealousy, and hatred of God in his heart?
He [Satan] wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and. because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God. Early Writings, 145:1.
9. How many of the heavenly angels did Lucifer lead to unite with him in his rebellion? Revelation 12:3, 4, 9.
Satan in his rebellion took a third part of the angels. Testimonies, Volume 3, 115:0.
War in Heaven
10. Did God exclude the rebel host from heaven as soon as their disaffection was discovered?
In great mercy, according to His divine character, God bore long with Lucifer.
A compassionate Creator, in yearning pity for Lucifer and his followers, was seeking to draw them back from the abyss of ruin into which they were about to plunge.
God permitted Satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his [Satan’s] plans to be fully developed, that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all. Patriarchs and Prophets, 39:1,2; 41:2.
There was war in heaven. Angels were engaged in the battle; Satan wished to conquer the Son of God, and those who were submissive to His will. But the good and true angels prevailed, and Satan, with his followers, was driven from heaven. Early Writings, 146:0.
12. What will be the final end of Satan and his angels? Isaiah 14:15, 16; Ezekiel 28:17-19; Malachi 4:1; Revelation 20:91, 10, 14.
Jesus Christ conquered Satan by His victorious life and by His death on the cross.
Why God Did Not Destroy Satan
13. Why did God permit Satan to live and carry on his work?
It was necessary for his [Satan’s] plans to be fully developed.
Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might forever be placed beyond all question. The Great Controversy, 497:1; 499:0.
14. What event sounded Satan’s death knell? John 19:30.
In the Savior’s expiring cry, “It is finished,” the death knell of Satan was rung. The Great Controversy,
503:1
Satan Can Be Overcome
15. In view of Satan’s past history and present activity, what are, we counseled to do? James 4:7; 1 Peter
5:8, 9.
16. How may we overcome Satan? 2 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 6:11-18; Jude 24; Revelation 12:10,11.
Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Deuteronomy 30:19
Isaiah 14:12-14
Ezekiel 28:12-18
Revelation 12:7-9
Define or Identify:
Covering
Cherub
Government
Jealousy
Sin
Pride
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1.
The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty, and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:2,3. God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory. Patriarchs and Prophets, 47:2.
The same Eternal One who created this world is our Savior. He has redeemed us from sin.
The Creation, When? By Whom? How? How Long?
“The evening and the morning were
the first day.” Genesis 1:5.
the second day.” Genesis 1:8.
the third day.” Genesis 1:13.
the fourth day.” Genesis 1: 19.
the fifth day.” Genesis 1:23.
the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31.
the seventh day. Genesis 2:1-3.
The Bible recognizes no long ages in which the earth was slowly evolved from chaos. Of each successive day of creation, the Sacred Record declares that it consisted of the evening and the morning, like all other days that have followed. At the close of each day is given the result of the Creator’s work. The statement is made at the close of the first week’s record, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created.”
Genesis 2:1-3. But this does not convey the idea that the days of creation were other than literal days. Each day was called a generation, because that in it God generated, or produced, some new portion of His work. Patriarchs and Prophets, 112: 1.
6. With what limitations did God make plants and animals? Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 25. Each was to “yield” or “bring forth” “after his kind.”
Man Created
7. What is man called?
Above all lower orders of being, God designed that man, the crowning work of His creation, should express His thought and reveal His glory. The Ministry of Healing, 415:3.
8. In whose likeness was man created, and what was the dominion that was given to him? Genesis 1:26, 27.
9. How was man created? Genesis 2:7.
Eve Created
10. What was the significance of the manner in which God created Eve? Genesis 2:21, 22.
God Himself gave Adam a companion. He provided “an help meet for Him” (Genesis 2:20)-a helper corresponding to him-one who was fitted to be his companion, and who could be one with him in love and sympathy. Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him. A part of man, bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, she was his second self; showing the close union and the affectionate attachment that should exist in this relation. Patriarchs and Prophets, 46:2.
Work of Each Day
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” Exodus 20: 11.
12. Why did God make the Sabbath as a day of rest? Mark 2:27, 28.
God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even m Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of God and meditate upon His power and goodness. He needed a Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the beneficent hand of the Creator.
13. Besides resting on the seventh day, what two things did God do to the seventh day? Genesis 2:1
Remember:
God reserved the seventh day as a period of rest for man, for the good of man as well as for His own glory. He saw that the wants of man required a day of rest from toil and care, that his health and life would be endangered without a period of relaxation from the labor and anxiety of the six days. Testimonies, Volume 1, 532:1.
Texts to Remember:
Genesis 1: 11, 12 Psalm 33:6, 9 Hebrews 1: 1, 2
Define or Identify:
Breath of life
Crowning work
Firmament
Sabbath God rested
To create
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12.
Patriarchs and Prophets, 52:1 to 62:3
The warning given to our first parents – “In the day that thou eats thereof thou shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17)-did not imply that they were to die on the very day when they partook of the forbidden fruit. But on that day the irrevocable sentence would be pronounced. Immortality was promised them on condition of obedience; by transgression they would forfeit eternal life. That very day they would be doomed to death. Patriarchs and Prophets, 60:2.
Man on Probation in Eden
Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God might have created them without the power to transgress His requirements; but in that case there could have been no development of character; their service would not have been voluntary, but forced. Therefore, He gave them the power of choice-the power to yield or to withhold obedience. And before they could receive in fullness the blessings He desired to impart, their love and loyalty must be tested. Education, 23: 1.
3. What was fully explained to our first parents?
Our first parents were not left without a warning of the danger that threatened them. Heavenly messengers opened to them the history of Satan’s fall, and his plots for their destruction, unfolding more fully the nature of the divine government, which the prince of evil was trying to overthrow. It was by disobedience to the just commands of God that Satan and his host had fallen. How important, then, that Adam and Eve should honor that law by which alone it was possible for order and equity to be maintained. Patriarchs and Prophets, 52:2.
4. Where only could Satan tempt the holy pair?
Satan was not to follow them with continual temptations; he could have access to them only at the forbidden tree. Patriarchs and Prophets, 53:2.
The Enemy Visits the Garden
5. Why did Satan choose the serpent as his medium? Genesis 3: 1.
The serpent was then one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the earth. Patriarchs and Prophets,
53:4.
6. What prompted Eve in the choice she made? Genesis 3:6.
7. What one thing led Eve to her fall? Genesis 3:13.
Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin. She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall. In the judgment, men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth. Patriarchs and Prophets, 55:2.
8. When Adam knew Eve had transgressed God’s command, why did he eat of the fruit? 1 Timothy 2:14.
Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they remain faithful to God. Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in his eyes out. valued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator, all were overborne by love to Eve. Patriarchs and Prophets, 56:2.
9. What was the immediate effect of their transgression? Genesis 3:6.
Jesus Christ won back for man all that he had lost by yielding to the snares of Satan.
It was grateful to the taste, and as she [Eve] ate, she seemed to feel a growing power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Patriarchs and Prophets, 56:0.
After his transgression, Adam at first Imagined himself entering upon a higher state of existence. Patriarchs and Prophets, 57.1.
10. Then what reaction came to the guilty pair? Genesis 3:7.
But soon the thought of his sin filled him with terror. The air seemed to chill the guilty pair. The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul. Patriarchs and Prophets, 57:1.
11. What curse was pronounced on the serpent? The man? The woman? The ground? Genesis 3:14-19.
Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Genesis 2:16,17
Romans 5:12
Define and Identify:
Forbidden fruit
Temptation
Tree of life Medium
Test
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14.
We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then [in the earth made new] we shall see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between
The loves and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul, shall there find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb the sacred ties that bind together “the whole family in heaven and earth’s (Ephesians 3:15), these help to constitute the happiness of the redeemed.
There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forgetfulness of God. Every faculty will he developed, every capacity increased.
All the treasures of the universe will he open to the study of God’s redeemed. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator’s name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed. The Great Controversy, 676:4 to 677:3.
The Godhead or Trinity
Who are united in the work of making the church on earth like the church in heaven?
How should we address the First Person of the Godhead?
Who is our advocate with the Father? 1 John 2: 1.
Why cannot men explain the nature of the Holy Spirit?
Regarding such mysteries, what is said to be golden?
“My Father and Your Father”
The Angels
The Beginning of Evil
Creation
The Fall of Man
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!” Acts 2:38.
C. The way, The Truth, and the Life
Every person in order to obtain salvation must experience the new birth; this comprises an entire transformation of life and character by the re-creative power of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism is an ordinance of the Christian church and should follow repentance and forgiveness of sins. By its observance 1aith is shown in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The proper form of baptism is by immersion.
14. DELIVERANCE FROM SIN PROMISED
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15.
To man the first intimation of redemption was communicated in the sentence pronounced upon Satan in the garden. The Lord declared, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel." Genesis 3:15. This sentence, uttered in the bearing of our first parents, was to them a promise. Adam and Eve stood as criminals before the righteous judge, awaiting the sentence which transgression had incurred. But before they beard of the fife of toil and sorrow which must be their portion, or of the decree that they must return to dust, they listened to words that could not fail to give them hope. Patriarchs and Prophets, 65:4.
A Redeemer Promised
1. What is the first promise of a Redeemer recorded in the Bible? Genesis 3:15.
2. Mention some who have believed in this Redeemer-to-come and who have lived in accordance with their belief. Hebrews 11.
Types of Christ
3. The work Jesus was to do was shown in types and symbols:
Type
Christ
Prophecies of Jesus the Savior
4. Many prophecies regarding Jesus and His work were made and fulfilled:
Prophecy Foretold Fulfilled
“Seed of the woman.”
Genesis 3:15.
Galatians 4:4.
Came on time.
Daniel 9:24, 25.
Galatians 4:4.
Born in Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2.
Matthew 2:1.
Anointed by Spirit of Lord.
Isaiah 61:1. Luke 4:18,19.
Sold for thirty pieces of silver.
Zechariah 11:12. Matthew 26:15
Suffered silently.
Isaiah 53:7. Matthew 27:12-14.
Numbered with transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12. Luke 23:32,33.
Buried with the rich.
Isaiah 53:9. Matthew 27:57-60.
Bore our sins.
Isaiah 53:6. 1 Peter 2:24.
His flesh saw no corruption.
Psalm 16:10. Acts 2:31,32.
5. Some of the Bible promises of deliverance for fallen man through Jesus Christ:
No man con go in two directions at once. We must obey God or follow the way of death.
Salvation Only in Christ
Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Genesis 3:15
Micah 5:2
Galatians 4:4
Define or Identify:
Deliverance
Incarnation
Seed
Woman
Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14.
The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which bath been kept in silence through times eternal.” Romans 16:25, RV. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satin, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. The Desire of Ages, 22:2.
The Plan of Salvation Laid
Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human Impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. The nations were united under one government. One language was widely spoken, and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature. From all lands the Jews of the dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to the annual feasts. As these returned to the places of their sojourn, they could spread throughout the world the tidings of the Messiah’s coming. The Desire of Ages, 32:2.
4. At the time when the birth of Jesus was first announced, what was revealed about His mission? Matthew 1:21, 23.
The God-Man
5. What do the Scriptures reveal about Jesus before He was “made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4)? John 1: 1-3, 14; 3:13; 8:56-58; 17:5; 1 Corinthians 10:4.
We are believers in Christ. In His divinity and in His pre-existence. Testimonies, Volume 6, 58: 1.
6. Whose form did Christ take when He came to this earth? Philippians 2:13-8; Hebrews 2:14,16,17.
7. How did Christ identify Himself with the human family? Matthew 28:10; John 20:17; Hebrews 2:11.
BY His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. In Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Savior has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. The Desire of Ages, 25:1
8. What record is left of Jesus’ life and work? Acts 10:38.
Victor Over Sin
9. What can be said of the perfect life of Jesus? Psalm 40:6-8; Hebrews 10:7, 9; 1 Peter 2:22, 23.
10. Note the attempt of the devil to cause Jesus to sin. Matthew 4:1-11.
Never will man be tried with temptations as powerful as those which assailed Christ. Testimonies, Volume
4, 45:1.
11. Do we face any temptations that Jesus did not meet? Hebrews 1:15.
The Sinless for the Sinful
12. Though sinless, what penalty (lid Jesus meet on the cross? Romans 5:6-8; 6:23; Hebrews 2:9.
By bearing the penalty of sin, by going down into the grave, Christ has brightened the tomb for all who die in faith. God in human form has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. In dying, Christ secured eternal life for all who believe in Him. In dying, He condemned the originator of sin and disloyalty to suffer the penalty of sin-eternal death. Testimonies, Volume 6, 230:1
13. How important to us today is the fact that Jesus did not sin? Romans 5:18, 19; Hebrews 2:18.
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. The Desire of Ages, 25:2.
The Son of God met every temptation with God’s word, and thus overcome Satan’s wiles.
Results of His Victory
14. As a result of His victory over sin and His sacrificial death, how much power was given to Jesus? Matthew 28:18.
15. What does this power mean to us? John 1: 12; Philippians 1: 6; Jude 24.
By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey. The Desire of Ages, 24:1
16. What confidence should the knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ bring to all who believe m Him? Hebrews 4:16.
17. When will the plan of salvation be completed? 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Revelation 21:1-4.
Remember:
Cover with His Life
Look upon Jesus, sinless is He;
Father, impute His life unto me.
My life of scarlet, my sin and woe,
Cover with His life, whiter than snow.
Deep are the wounds transgression has made;
Red are the stains; my soul is afraid.
0 to be covered, Jesus, with Thee,
Safe from the law that now judges me’
Longing the joy of pardon to know;
Jesus holds out a robe white as snow;
“Lord, I accept it leaving my own,
Gladly I wear Thy pure life alone.”
Reconciled by His death for my sin, Justified by His life pure and clean,
Sanctified by obeying His word,
Glorified when returns my Lord.
Cover with His life, whiter than snow;
Fullness of His life then shall I know;
My life of scarlet, my sin and woe,
Cover with His life, whiter than snow.
F. E. Belden
Texts to Remember:
Luke 19: 10
2 Corinthians 2:14
Hebrews 4:16
Jude 1:24
Define or Identify: Victory
Walking “after the flesh”
Imparted righteousness
Imputed righteousness
Salvation
He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:8.
Love, the basis of creation and of redemption, is the basis of true education. This is made plain in the law that God has given as the guide of life. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” Luke 10:27. To love Him, the Infinite, the Omniscient One, with the whole strength, and mind, and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being - the body, the mind, as well as the soul-the image of God is to he restored. Education, 16:1.
God’s Character Is Love
1. What is God declared to be? 1 John 4:8.
2. What did God’s love for man lead Him to do? John 3:16.
So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only begotten Son, “that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!” John 3:16. The Desire of Ages, 22:2.
By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan’s purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Savior has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. The Desire of Ages, 25:1
3. What does the psalmist say of the tender compassion of God? Psalms 86:15; 145:8, 9.
4. What kind of love does Jeremiah call God’s love for man? Jeremiah 31:3.
5. In what does God delight? Micah 7:18.
Man’s Response to God’s Love
6. What did Jesus declare to be the “second’ commandment in the law? Matthew 22:39.
7. How strong should be a Christian’s love for others 9 1 John 3: 16is.
8. How may all men know that we are the disciples of Christ? John 13:35.
The love of Jesus Christ is the strongest magnet on earth, for it draws men to salvation.
9. Into what close relationship to God does love bring us? 1 John 3:1.
Through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the sons of Adam may become the sons of God. By assuming human nature, Christ elevates humanity. Fallen men are placed where, through connection with Christ, they may indeed become worthy of the name “sons of God!” [1 John 3:1] Steps to Christ, 17:1.
God’s Love Manifested
10. What will the love of God in our hearts cause us to do? Matthew 22:36-40; 1 John 5:1
11. Even though a mother may forget her child, what does God say He will not do? Isaiah 49:15.
12. Why is it impossible for Him to forget? Isaiah 49:16.
13. What is God’s love able to do for His children? Deuteronomy 23:5.
14. How does God sometimes show His love? Hebrews 12:6.
15. Of what was Paul fully persuaded? Romans 8:38, 39.
When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie, to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. Steps to Christ, 77: 1.
Remember:
As long as we yield ourselves as the channels through which His love can flow, He will keep the channels supplied. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, June 27, 1893.
3. When we love the world as He [Jesus] has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts-The Desire of Ages, 641:1
4. We cannot be loveless Christians. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald. October 6, 1896.
5. It is the expression of God’s love for us that makes us care for one another. When the Lord Jesus dwells in our hearts, we think the thoughts of God, and do the works of God. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, Feb. 23, 1897.
6. Let the affections be given to God in order that His law may he written in the heart, and the whole man will become a new creature, born again of the Spirit. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, May 28,1896.
The Love of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race-
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall for evermore endure-
The saints’ and angels’ song.
F. M. Lehman
Copyright by Nazarene Publishing House. Used by permission.
Texts to Remember:
Isaiah 49:15, 16
John 3:16
John 13:35
1 John 4:8
17. PREDESTINATION-FREE CHOICE
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:3-5.
The gifts of His grace through Christ are free to all. There is no election but one’s own by which any may perish. God has act forth in His word the conditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life—obedience to His commandments, through faith in Christ. God has elected a character in harmony with His law, and anyone who shall reach the standard of His requirement, will have an entrance into the kingdom of glory
Every soul is elected who will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected who will put on the armor, and fight the good fight of faith. He is elected who will watch unto prayer, who will search the scriptures, and flee from temptation. 1 le is elected who will have faith continually, and who will he obedient to very word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The provisions of redemption are-free to all; the results of redemption will he enjoyed by those who have complied with the conditions. Patriarchs and Prophets, 207:4 to 208:1.
God’s Purpose for All Men
1. What is God’s purpose for man? 1 Timothy 2:3,4; 2 Peter 3:9.
2. How many are included in God’s mercy? John 3:16; 71tus 2:11; Revelation 22:17.
3. To what have we been predestined?
4. The process of adoption is a voluntary transfer from the family of Adam to the family of Christ, the second Adam.
Family of the First Adam Family of the Second Adam
Sinners. a. Made righteous. Romans 5:19.
All die. b. All be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22.
A living soul. c. A quickening spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45.
Natural. d. Spiritual. 1 Corinthians 15:46.
Earthy. e. Heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:47, 48.
All who remain members of the family of the first Adam are destined to eternal destruction; all who become and remain members of the family of the second Adam are elected to eternal life.
5. Contrast “the wages of sin” and “the gift of God.” Romans 6:23.
6. How can the wicked escape death? Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11.
Your Choice-Bible Election
7. What did Moses say we should choose? Deuteronomy 30:19.
8. In order to become one of God’s elect, what must we do?
Joshua 24: 15; Isaiah 55: 1; Revelation 22:17.
To every youth is given the power of choice. We con decide to serve God or go our way.
9. Does belief affect our salvation? Mark 16:16; John 3:18.
10. How did Moses become an instrument that could be used of God? Hebrews 11:24-26.
11. Why were the lives of Jacob and Esau so different?
Esau and Jacob had alike been instructed in the knowledge of God, and both were free to walk in His commandments and to receive His favor; but they had not both chosen to do this. Esau had despised the blessings of the covenant. It was by his own deliberate choice that he was separated from the people of God. Jacob had chosen the inheritance of faith. Patriarchs and Prophets, 207:3; 208:2.
12. Of what do we need to make sure? 2 Peter 1:10.
13. How can we do this? Hebrews 12:1, 2.
Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing come to the point of yielding the will Many will be lost while hoping and to God. They do not now choose to be desiring to be Christians. They do not Christians. Steps to Christ, 52:1.
Do Not Forget:
2. The power of choice God has given to men; It is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him. Steps to Christ, 52:0
Texts to Remember:
Joshua 24:15 Romans 2: 11 Titus 2: 11
John 3:16
Ephesians 1:3-5
Define or Identify: Automaton
Force
Free moral agency God’s will
My will
Predestination
Purpose
“Whosoever will”
Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19.
Steps to Christ, 26:1 to 41:0
All who became the subjects of Christ’s kingdom, He said, would give evidence of faith and repentance. Kindness, honesty, and fidelity would be own in their lives. They would minister to the needy, and bring their offerings to God. They would shield the defenseless, and give an example of virtue and compassion. So the followers of 1 Christ will give evidence of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. In the daily life, justice, mercy, and the love of God will he seek. Otherwise they are like the chaff that is given to the fire. The Desire of Ages, 107:3.
What Repentance Is
1. What is the meaning of the word “repentance”?
Repent: to feel penitence or regret for past conduct.
Penitence: sorrow for sins or faults. Webster.
No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct.
Holiness is wholeness for God; It is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven. The Desire of Ages, 555:6.
Repentance includes sorrow for sin, and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see Its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life. Steps to Christ, 26:2.
Repentance is turning from self to Christ; and when we receive Christ, so that, through faith, He can live His life in us, good works will be manifest. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 131:1
Repentance and Turning to God
2. What does Ezekiel emphasize along with repentance? Ezekiel, 18:30.
3. Why has God commanded all men everywhere to repent? Acts 17:30, 31.
4. How many would God have repent and be saved? 1 Timothy, 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9.
5. Who gives repentance and forgiveness of sin? Acts 5:30, 31.
It is the virtue that goes forth from Christ, that leads to genuine repentance. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ. Steps to Christ, 30:1.
It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful ways, and give us some of their evil habits, before they are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them. Steps to Christ, 31:1.
6. Must we repent before we can come to Jesus?
The Bible does not teach that the sinner must repent before he can heed the invitation of Christ, “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28-Steps to Christ, 30:1.
7. Because of Christ’s love for the Laodiceans, what message did He send them? Revelation 3:19.
8. What did Job do after he had seen God? Job 42:5, 6.
9. The Holy Spirit convicted the hearers of Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, and caused them t o cry out, ‘What shall we do?” Acts 2:37. What was Peter’s answer? Acts 2:38.
10. What precedes the blotting out of sins? Acts 3:19.
Bible Examples of Repentance
11. Give some instances of repentance:
There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned, and even make an outward reformation, because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense. They lament the suffering, rather than the sin. Such was the grief of Esau when he saw that the birthright was lost to him forever. Steps to Christ, 26:3.
b. Balaam. Numbers 22:34.
Balaam, terrified by the angel standing in his pathway with drawn sword, acknowledged his guilt lest he should lose his life; but there was no genuine repentance for sin, no conversion of purpose, no abhorrence of evil. Steps to Christ, 26:3.
c. David. 2 Samuel 12:13; Psalm 51.
Many have murmured at what they called God’s injustice in sparing David, whose guilt was so great, after having rejected Saul for what appear to them to be far less flagrant sins. But David humbled himself and confessed his sin, while Saul despised reproof, and hardened his heart in impenitence. Patriarchs and Prophets, 726:1.
d. Zacchaeus. Luke 19:1-9.
Before Zacchaeus had looked upon the face of Christ, he had begun the work that made him manifest as a true penitent. Before being accused by man, he had confessed his sin. He had yielded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and had begun to carry out the teaching of the words written for ancient Israel as well as for ourselves. The Desire of Ages, 555:4.
12. Name the two types of sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10.
13. Why is it so serious for a person to continue to slight Heaven’s invitation to repent? Ephesians 4:30. The most common manifestation of the sin against the Holy Spirit is in persistently slighting Heaven’s invitation to repent. The Desire of Ages, 324:2.
Do Not Forget:
Let God untangle the snarled-up threads for you. He is wise enough to manage the complications of our lives. He has skill and tact. We cannot always see His plans; we must wait patiently their unfolding and not mar and destroy them. He will reveal them to us in His own good time. Testimonies, Volume 5, 347:2 to 348:1.
2. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory and character of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy. The Desire of. Ages, 331:2.
3. He who is truly penitent does not forget his past sins, and grow careless about them as soon as he has obtained forgiveness. On the contrary, the clearer the evidence he has of divine favor, the more he sees to regret in his past life of sin. He loathes, abhors, and condemns himself, and is more and more astonished that he should have continued in rebellion so long. He renews his repentance toward God, while he grasps more decidedly the hand of Jesus Christ, and finds that repentance is a daily, continued exercise, lasting until mortality is swallowed up of life. He who thus repents, appreciates the righteousness of Christ as above silver and gold, above every earthly tie and affection. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, Nov. 26, 1894.
Texts to Remember:
Acts 2:38 Acts 3:19 2 Peter 3:9
Define or Identify:
Genuine
Penitence
Restore
Love
Reformation
Sorrow
19. CONFESSION
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and Just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1: 9.
Psalm 51 and Steps to Christ, 42:1 to 46:2
The conditions of obtaining mercy of God, are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy. Stops to Christ. 42:2.
Blessings of Confession
Be Definite in Confession
5. To whom should we confess our sins? Psalm 32:5; Daniel 9:319.
6. To whom should we confess our faults? James 5:16.
Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer. Steps to Christ, 42:3.
7. While confession should be definite and to those affected by the wrongdoing, what care must be taken? I have been shown that many, many confessions should never be spoken in the hearing of mortals. There should be no reckless, wholesale movements in this matter, for the cause of God may be made
disreputable in the eyes of unbelievers God will be better glorified if we confess the secret, inbred corruption of the
heart to Jesus alone.
There are confessions of a nature that should be brought before a select few and acknowledged by the sinner in deepest humility.
Then there are confessions that the Lord has bidden us make to one another. Testimonies, Volume 5, 645:2
to 646:1.
Life is too short for anyone to carry a continual grudge against a fellow human being.
Examples and Results
The Savior did not reproach His betrayer. He knew that Judas did not repent; his confession was forced from his guilty soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a looking for of judgment. The Desire of Ages, 722:2.
12. How definite should we be in our confession of sin? Leviticus 5:5.
13. Why should we not try to hide sin from God? Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 28:13, 14; Hebrews 4:13.
14. Besides confession, what did God ask Israel to do? Leviticus 6:1-7.
15. After having been restored to “the joy of salvation,” what did David say he would do? Psalm 51:12, 13.
16. What is the reaction in heaven when a sinner turns to God? Luke 15:7, 10.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
Proverbs 28:13
James 5:16
1 John 1: 9
Define or Identify:
Compassion
Courage Honesty Confession
Forgive Pilgrimage
Come now, and let us reason together, said the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.
You are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins, you cannot change your heart, and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins, and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him, just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise believe that you are forgiven and cleansed. God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it. Steps to Christ, 55:1.
God’s Promise of Forgiveness
1. What does God do for His children? Psalm 103:2, 3; Micah 7:18.
2. Note that among the attributes that God possesses, forgiveness is prominent. Exodus 34:13, 7; Numbers 14:18; Psalms 85:2; 86:5.
The attributes of Christ’s character, patience, kindness, mercy, and love. Counsels to Teachers, 151:0.
3. How definitely has God promised to forgive our sins? Jeremiah 31:34, last part; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17.
4. How completely does God pardon sins that are confessed? Isaiah 44:22; 55:7.
5. When God forgives sin, what else does He do? 1 John 1:91, last part.
6. How completely does He remove sin from us? Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19.
God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 167:1.
7. According to the scribes and Pharisees, who only could forgive sin? Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21.
8. What was Jesus’ reaction to this teaching? Mark 2:8-12; Luke 5:22-25.
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we actually ask God to forgive us as we forgive others.
9. How do you explain John 20:23?
Christ here gives no liberty for any man to pass judgment upon others. But on the church in its organized capacity He places a responsibility for the individual members.
Deal faithfully with wrongdoing. Warn every soul that is in danger. Leave none to deceive themselves. Call sin by its right name. Declare what God has said in regard to lying, Sabbath breaking, stealing, Idolatry, and every other evil. “They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God!” Galatians 5:21. If they persist in sin, the judgment you have declared from God’s word is pronounced upon them in heaven. In choosing to sin they disown Christ; the church must show that she does not sanction their deeds, or she herself dishonors her Lord. She must say about sin what God says about it. She must deal with it as God directs, and her action is ratified in heaven. Gospel Workers, 502:1, 2.
10. Through whom do we have forgiveness of sins? Acts 10:43; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 2:12.
11. Note the following examples of sins forgiven and the results:
Conditions of Forgiveness
12. Upon what condition does God promise to forgive our sins? 2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 John 1:91.
13. How does our attitude toward others affect the measure of God’s forgiveness? Matthew 6:12, 14, 15; Mark 11:25, 26; Ephesians 4:32.
If we expect our own prayers to be heard, we must forgive others in the same manner, and to the same extent, as we hope to be forgiven. Steps to Christ, 101:2.
We are not forgiven because we forgive, but as we forgive. Christ’s Object Lessons, 251:1.
But for one to express faith in God’s pardoning love, while he himself indulged an unloving spirit, would be a mere farce. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 91:2.
14. How often should we forgive others? Matthew 18: 21, 22; Luke 17:3, 4.
Not only seven times, but seventy times seven-just as often as God forgives you.-Christ’s Object Lessons,
250:0
15. What is the sin that cannot be forgiven? Matthew 12:31, 32; Mark 3:28, 29; 1 John 5:16.
Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ; but he who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him. It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare it to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul. The Desire of Ages, 322:0.
Do Not Forget:
2. There is forgiveness with God; there is acceptance full and free through the merits of Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord. Prophets and Kings, 723:2.
Texts to Remember:
Isaiah 38:17
Isaiah 1: 18
Psalm 103:12
1 John 1: 9
Micah 7:19
Define or Identify:
Forgiveness
“Seventy times seven”
“Forgive us as”
To forget
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:23.
The Desire of Ages, 167:1 to 177:2
The fountain of the heart must he purified before the stream can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian’s fife is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can he brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. The Desire of Ages, 172:1.
The Natural Man
1. What may an unconverted person be called? Romans 8:6-8; James 4:4.
2. How did Isaiah, the prophet, picture man in his sinful state? Isaiah 1:5, 6; 64:6.
3. Note carefully the list of vices known as the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21.
4. How many of the human family have sinned? Romans 3:10-12, 23.
5. What success will man, by himself, have in trying to reform? Job 14:4; Jeremiah 13:23; 17:9.
By nature the heart is evil. No human invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. The Desire of Ages, 172:1.
It is evident that man is in desperate need of help if he is ever to please God.
You Must Be Born Again
6. How only can we be fitted for citizenship in God’s kingdom? Matthew 18:3; John 3:1
7. Who gives to man the new birth experience? John 1:13.
8. What means does God use to bring about the new birth?
To be converted means to turn around from a sinful life and go toward the kingdom of God.
9. What is man’s part in this experience? John 1:12.
10. How earnestly should we seek God’s favor? Jeremiah 29:13.
11. How complete is to be the work of transformation? Romans 8:14; 2 Corinthians 5:17.
12. How much of the work of regeneration do we understand? John 3:7, 8.
The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves and flowers; yet it is invisible, and no man knows whence it comes or whither it goes. So with the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. It can no more be explained than can the movements of the wind. A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. The Desire of Ages, 172:1
Evidences of Conversion
13. List the evidences of the new birth given in the following scriptures:
14. Study the story of Joshua the high priest and his experience, and note how he was changed. Zechariah 3:1-5.
15. What happens to the “old man,’ of sin? Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20.
16. What comes into the heart as a result of the new birth? Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7.
When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God. The Desire of Ages, 173:1.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
Jeremiah 13:23
John 3:3,5
1 Peter 1: 23
Define or Identify:
Conversion
Natural man
Regeneration
Surrender of self
Vice
Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4.
Christ has made baptism the sign of entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He has made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is a most solemn renunciation of the world. Testimonies, Volume 6, 91:2, 3.
1. What command did Jesus give concerning baptism? Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16.
2. What is the meaning of baptism? Romans 6:3, 4.
3. Of what is baptism a memorial? Romans 6:3, 4.
4. What experience should we have before receiving baptism?
5. What should be our condition and experience after having been baptized?
6. What is the manner of Christian baptism?
a. “John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there.” John 3:23.
7. How many forms of baptism are recognized in the Scriptures? Ephesians 4:5.
The only mode of baptism recognized in the New Testament is Immersion. The Greek word “baptizo,” from which our English word “baptism” is derived, means to immerse, to overwhelm, or to plunge beneath. W. H. Branson, Drama of the Ages, 168:3.
When we are baptized we bury the life of sin and rise to walk in a new life with Jesus.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 3:13-17
Matthew 28:19, 20
Romans 6:4
Define or Identify:
Baptize
Immersion Memorial Ordinance To bury
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38.
Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love-this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to he transformed into His likeness. Steps to Christ, 75:1.
Deliverance From Sin Promised
Deliverance Through Christ
Love of God
Predestination-Free Choice
Repentance
Confession
Forgiveness
Born Again
5. Name some evidences of the new birth.
Baptism
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
1.”And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15.
The law of Ten Commandments points out sin, the penalty of which is death. The law cannot save the transgressor from his sin, nor impart power to keep him from sinning. In infinite love and mercy, God provides a way whereby this may be done. He furnishes a substitute, even Christ the Righteous One, to die in man’s stead, making Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. One is justified, not by obedience to the law, but by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. By accepting Christ, man is reconciled to God, justified by His blood for the sins of the past, and saved from the power of sin by His indwelling life. Thus the gospel becomes “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” Romans 1:16. This experience is wrought by the divine agency of the Holy Spirit, who convinces of sin and leads to the Sin Bearer, inducting the believer into the new-covenant relationship, where the law of God is written on his heart, and through the enabling power of the indwelling Christ, his life is brought into conformity to the divine precepts. The honor and merit of this wonderful transformation belong wholly to Christ.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!’ Romans 5:1.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11: 6.
I have frequently seen that the children of the Lord neglect prayer, especially secret prayer, altogether too much; that many do not exercise that faith which it is their privilege and duty to exercise, often waiting for that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith; the two are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give. The grace of God comes to the soul through, the channel of living faith, and that faith it is in our power to exercise. Early Writings, 72:1.
Faith Defined
Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Savior. It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin. The Desire of Ages, 175.4.
Saving faith is a transaction, by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which, through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a conquering power. The Ministry of Healing, 62:2.
The Roman captain had great faith in Jesus he asked the Master to heal his servant.
2. What more is required besides a belief that God exists? Hebrews 11:15, last part.
3. How is faith obtained? Romans 10: 17; 12:1
4. If the word of God is the medium through which faith comes, how, then, may faith be increased? 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17.
The truth of God is our shield against the fiery attacks of a false, lying enemy.
5. Explain the difference between belief and faith. Matthew 17:20; James 2:19.
Faith is belief put to work. When we speak of faith, there is a distinction that should be borne in mind. There is a kind of belief that is wholly distinct from faith. The existence and power of God, the truth of His word, are facts that even Satan and his hosts cannot at heart deny. The Bible says that “the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19); but this is not faith. Where there is not only a belief in God’s word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith-faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. Steps to Christ, 68:2.
Evidences of Faith
7. What will one who has faith understand about creation? Hebrews 11: 3.
8. Point out at least three instances of faith in Abraham’s life. Hebrews 11: 8-19.
9. With what is the faith of Jesus joined? Revelation 14:12.
10. How is the law of God established in the heart? Romans 3:31.
11. Of what fruit is faith apart? Galatians 5:22.
12. Explain the relationship between faith and works. James 2:14-22.
13. What will the trying of our faith produce in the life? James 1:1
14. What will God’s remnant church have? Revelation 14:12, last part.
15. Into what close relationship to God are we brought by faith? Galatians 3:26.
16. When we become children of God, how do we walk? 2 Corinthians 5:7.
17. Upon what condition may we expect our prayers to be answered? James 1:6.
18. What is the ultimate purpose of faith? 1 Peter 1:9.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember: Romans 3:31
Galatians 5:22, 23 Hebrews 11: 3, 6
Define or Identify:
Believe
Faith
Presumption
Transaction
Works
25. RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH
Righteousness is right doing, and it is by their deeds that all will be judged. Our characters are revealed by what we do. The works show whether the faith is genuine. Whatever our profession, it amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed in works of righteousness. Christ’s Object Lessons, 312:2; 313:0
But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30.
The law requires righteousness a righteous life, a perfect character; and this man has not to give. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law. But Christ, coming to the earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. Thus they have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. The Desire of Ages, 762:2.
1. To what is man’s righteousness likened? Isaiah 64:6.
2. What is the most effective way to “break off thy sins”? Daniel 4:27.
3. Where or what is the source of righteousness for “the servants of the Lord”? Isaiah 54:17, last part; Jeremiah 23:5, 6.
4. To what does Isaiah compare righteousness? Isaiah 61:10.
5. What is used in the Bible to represent the righteousness of saints? Revelation 19:7, 8.
6. How is righteousness defined?
7. What does it mean to be clothed with the garments of His righteousness? Romans 13:14; Colossians 3:5-17.
By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Christ’s Object Lessons, 312:0.
Conditions
(See Christ’s Object Lessons, 312:0, and The Desire of Ages, 668:3.) Results - We live His life. We are clothed with His righteousness.
8. BY Christ’s perfect obedience, it is possible for us to obey God’s commandments. Philippians 4:13.
9. Abraham and righteousness. Romans 4. Abraham:
10. In what is “the righteousness of God” revealed? Romans 1:16,17.
The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel “from faith to faith.”
11. How is “the righteousness of God” obtained? Romans 3:22.
Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.
Not by painful struggles or wearisome toll, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 34:1, 2.
The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our part, but as a free gift from God, is a precious thought. The enemy of God and man is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken. Gospel Workers, 161:1.
12. What are some of the characteristics of righteousness?
When we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we shall have no relish for sin: for Christ will be working with us. We may make mistakes, but we will hate the sin that caused the sufferings of the Son of God. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, March 18, 1890.
The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed; the righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for Heaven. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, June 4, 1895.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
Zephaniah 2:1-3 Romans 1: 16, 17
1 Corinthians 1:30
2 Corinthians 5:21
Define or Identify:
Legal religion Righteousness Submission To impart
To impute
Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth. John 17:17.
In the life of the disciple John true Sanctification is exemplified. During the years of his close association with Christ, he was often warned and cautioned by the Savior; and these reproofs he accepted. As the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, John saw his own deficiencies, and was humbled by the revelator. Day by day, in contrast with his own violent spirit, he beheld the tenderness and forbearance of Jesus, and heard His lessons of humility and patience. Day by day his heart was drawn out to Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. The power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, the strength and patience, that he saw in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration. He yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to the molding power of Christ, and divine love wrought in him a transformation of character. The Acts of the Apostles, 557:1.
God's Standard For Us
1. What is "sanctification"?
State or quality of being sacred or holy; holiness of life and character; saintliness; godliness-Webster.
True sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect conformity to the will of God. The Acts of the Apostles, 565:1.
Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven. The Desire of Ages, 556:0.
2. What high standard does God want His children to reach? Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1: 15, 16.
3. What is God's will for us? 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4.
4. How complete is the work of sanctification to be? 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Agencies of Sanctification
5. Note how sanctification depends upon Jesus and His sacrificial death:
God expects us to be growing Christians who advance onward and upward to His kingdom.
d. Christ is “He that sanctifies.” Hebrews 2: 11.
e. “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ.” Hebrews 10:10.
f. “That He might sanctify the people.” Hebrews 13:12.
6. For what reason did Jesus sanctify Himself? John 17:19.
7. What part does the word of God have in the work of sanctification? John 17:17. (Compare 1 Thessalonians 2:13, last part, and 1 Peter 1:22.)
8. Does God the Father have anything to do with sanctification? Jude 1:1.
Our Part in Sanctification
9. How fruitful will be man’s attempt to sanctify himself? Isaiah 66:17.
10. In the work of sanctification what must we do in co-operation with God? Philippians 2:12,13; 1 John
3:3.
11. What are we to do with the evil tendencies of our nature? Colossians 3:5-8.
The directions laid down in the word God leave no room for compromise with evil. His [Christ’s] children must follow where He has led the way; at whatever sacrifice of ease or selfish indulgence, at whatever cost of labor or suffering, they must maintain a constant battle with self. The Acts of the Apostles, 565:3
12. Does the theory of “once saved, always saved” agree with the Scriptures, or is it possible to fall from grace? 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10: 12; 1 John 2: 1.
Let the recording angels write the history of the holy struggles and conflicts of the people of God; let them record their prayers and tears; but let not God be dishonored by the declaration from human lips, “I am sinless; I am holy!” Sanctified lips will never give utterance to such presumptuous words. The Acts of the Apostles, 561:1
13. Upon whom should we depend for the work of sanctification in our hearts? Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 12:2.
14. Note the following beautiful description of the work of sanctification:
Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a life time. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know not one day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome. So long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place, no point at which we can reach and say, I have fully attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong obedience. The Acts of the Apostles, 560:3.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 5:48 Philippians 1: 6 John 17:17, 19 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Define or Identify: Holiness
To sanctify
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18.
Steps to Christ, 71:1 to 80:2
An in nature, to in grace; there can he no life without growth. The plant must either grow or die. As its growth is silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so is the development of the Christian life. At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God’s purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement. Sanctification is the work of a lifetime. As our opportunities multiply, our experience will enlarge, and our knowledge increase. We shall become strong to bear responsibility, and our maturity will he in proportion to our privileges. Christ’s Object Lessons, 65:2.
Essentials of Growth
The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth....
Unless a man is “born from above” (John 3:3, margin), he cannot become a partaker of the life which Christ came to give. Steps to Christ, 71:1, 2.
2. After we have become children of God, what are we exhorted to do? 2 Peter 3:18.
3. How may this grace and peace be multiplied in the Christian? 2 Peter 1: 2.
4. Note what graces we are to add to faith in our character building (2 Peter 1:5-7): Christ, who connects earth with heaven, is the ladder. The base is planted firmly on the earth in His
humanity; the topmost round reaches to the throne of God in His divinity. The humanity of Christ embraces fallen humanity, while His divinity lays hold upon the throne of God. We are saved by climbing round after round of the ladder, looking to Christ, clinging to Christ, mounting step by step to the height of Christ, so that He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of this ladder. All these graces are to be manifested in the Christian character. Testimonies, Volume 6, 147:2.
The Ladder Heavenward
Charity
Brotherly kindness
Godliness
Patience
Temperance
Knowledge
Virtue
Faith
How to Grow
To him [Enoch] prayer was as the breath of the soul; he lived in the very atmosphere of heaven. Patriarchs and Prophets, 85:4.
11. Why is prayer so essential to the Christian’s growth? Luke 11:9-13.
12. Account for the freshness and vigor m our Savior as He entered upon each day’s work. Luke 6:12; 9:28, 29.
13. What has God wisely provided for man’s spiritual exercise? Romans 6:13; 1 Corinthians 9:16-18.
14. How did James stress the same truth? James 2:20-26.
Often His incessant labor and the conflict with the enmity and false teaching of the rabbis, left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, feared that His life would be sacrificed. But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the freshness and life and power that seemed to pervade His whole being. From hours spent alone with God He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men-The Ministry of Heating, 55:1
You need moral power and the real nourishment of the grace of God. Nothing will give bone and sinew to your piety like working to advance the cause you profess to love, instead of binding it. There is but one genuine cure for spiritual laziness, and that work is working for souls who need your help. Testimonies, Volume 4, 236:0.
15. What is a sure result of failure to take proper spiritual exercise? Matthew 25:41-46.
16. Five times in the New Testament the Lord Jesus used the one word which is translated in the King James Version, “Be of good cheer.” And what are the reasons for being “of good cheer”?
As the body must have food, exercise, and rest, so our spiritual life must have care.
And it takes just these blessings for us to experience good cheer and inner peace, peace as sweet and eternal as its Giver.
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
John 3:3
John 6:63
2 Peter 1:5-7
2 Peter 3:18
Define or Identify:
“Milk of the word”
Progress
Spiritual food
And whatsoever you shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13.
In order to commune with God, we must know something to say to Him concerning our actual life.
Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary, in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. Steps to Christ, 97:1,2.
Prayer unites us with one another and with God. Prayer brings Jesus to our side and gives to the fainting, perplexed soul new strength to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. Prayer turns aside the attacks of Satan. Christ’s Object Lessons, 250:2.
What Prayer Is
1. What did Jesus say men ought always to do? Luke 18:1.
2. Prayer is:
How to Obtain Answers to Prayer
But to pray in the name of Jesus is to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus, while we believe His promises, rely upon His grace, and work His works. Steps to Christ, 105:1.
Prayer connects us with the power of heaven so that we can gain the victory over sin.
To pray in Christ’s name means much. It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works. The Desire of Ages, 668:1
8. In order for our prayers to be answered, absolute faith is essential. Study the following texts carefully: Mark 11:24; Hebrews 11:6; James 1:5-7.
9. Name two other conditions to answered prayer. Mark 11:25, 26; 1 John 3:21, 22.
Prayers God Will Hear
10. Whose prayer will God not hear? Psalm 66: 18; Proverbs 28:9; James 4:1-3. If we cling to any known sin, the Lord, will not hear us. Steps to Christ, 99:3.
When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. The Desire of Ages, 266:2.
12. In what parable did Christ illustrate the spirit of a true suppliant? Luke 18:9-14.
The prayer of the publican was heard because it showed dependence reaching forth to lay hold upon Omnipotence. Self to the publican appeared nothing but shame. Thus it must be seen by all who seek God. By faith-faith that renounces all self trust the needy suppliant is to lay hold upon infinite power. Christ’s Object Lessons, 159:2.
13. Where can the Christian best find help? Matthew 6:5, 6.
We should pray in the family circle; and above all we must not neglect secret prayer; for this is the life of the soul. Family or public prayer alone is not sufficient. Steps to Christ, 102:1
The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence? Steps to Christ, 98:2.
14. What assurance did Jesus give that our prayers will be answered? Matthew 7:7-11.
15. How many times a day did David and Daniel pray? Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10.
16. What does Paul admonish us to do? 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Christ commands, “Pray without ceasing;” that is, keep the mind uplifted to God, the source of all power and efficiency. Testimonies to Ministers, 511: 0.
The Lord’s Prayer
17. What request of Jesus’ disciples expresses our wish for today? Luke 11:1.
18. Study THE LORD’S PRAYER (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:24) under the following headings, or divisions:
Do Not Forget:
Texts to Remember:
Psalm 66:18
John 14:13
Hebrews 11: 6
James 5:16
Define or Identify
Importunate
“Pray without ceasing”
Intercession
“Regard iniquity in my heart”
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1.
In His promises and warnings, Jesus means me. The experiences related in God’s word are to be my experiences. Prayer and promise, precept and warning, are mine. The Desire of Ages, 390:5.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
Sweetest same I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing, as I go.
Faith
Righteousness by Faith
Sanctification
Christian Growth
Prayer
5. Is It possible for God to answer some of our prayers by saying “No”? Give reasons for your answer.
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
The will of God as it relates to moral conduct is comprehended in His law of Ten Commandments. These are great moral, unchangeable precepts, binding upon all men in every age. Exodus 20:1-17.
“Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” Luke 10:27.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:20.
Within the holy of holies, in the sanctuary in heaven, the divine law is sacredly enshrined, the law that was spoken by God Himself amid the thunders of Sinai, and written with His own finger on the tables of stone. The law of God in the sanctuary in heaven is the great original, of which the precepts inscribed upon the tables of stone, and recorded by Moses in the Pentateuch, were an unerring transcript. The Great Controversy, 434:0,1.
Its Written Origin and Preservation
Christ Himself had given both the moral and the ceremonial law. He did not come to destroy confidence in His own instruction. The Desire of Ages, 307.2.
When the law was spoken, the Lord stood by the side of His Son, enshrouded in the fire and the smoke on the mount. It was not here that the law was first given; but it was proclaimed, that the children of Israel, whose ideas had become confused in their association with idolaters in Egypt, might be reminded of its terms, and understand what constitutes the true worship of Jehovah. What condescension was this that the Infinite God should stand side by side with His Son, while the law, which is the foundation of His government, was given. He would give His people an intelligent knowledge of His will. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, Oct. 15, 1896.
3. On what were the divine precepts written? Deuteronomy 9:10, 11.
4. When Moses returned to the foot of the mountain and found Israel worshiping the golden calf, what did he do with the stones on which was written God’s law? Deuteronomy 9:17.
To show his abhorrence of their crime, he threw down the tables of stone, and they were broken in the sight of all the people, thus signifying that as they had broken their covenant with God, so God had broken His covenant with them. Patriarchs and Prophets, 320:1.
5. What instructions were then given to Moses, and what did God again do? Deuteronomy 10:14.
6. Where, or in what, were these tables of stone kept for many centuries? Deuteronomy 10:5; 1 Kings 8:5-9.
7. Where, at the present time, is the ark and the tables of stone containing the law?
Among the righteous still in Jerusalem, to whom had been made plain the divine purpose, were some who determined to place beyond the reach of ruthless hands the sacred ark containing the tables of stone on which had been traced the precepts of the Ten Commandments. This they did. With mourning and sadness they secreted the ark in a cave, where it was to be hidden from the people of Israel and Judah because of their sins, and was to be no more restored to them. That sacred ark is yet hidden. It has never been disturbed since it was secreted. Prophets and Kings, 453:2.
The Purpose of God’s Law
8. To what is the law compared? What does it reveal? James 1:22-25.
9. What is the purpose of the law of God? Matthew 19:17; Romans 3:20; 7: 10.
God has given us His holy precepts, because He loves mankind. To shield us from the results of transgression, He reveals the principles of righteousness. The law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies above temptations that lead to sin.
God made known to men the holiness of His character, that by contrast they might see the sinfulness of their own. The law was given to convict them of sin, and reveal their need of a Savior. It would do this as its principles were applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. This work it is still to do. The Desire of Ages, 308:1,2.
10. Why should we fear God and keep His commandments? Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.
11. What did James regard as the supreme standard of life? James 2:8, 9, 12.
12. Who will be admitted into the Paradise of God and be permitted to eat of the tree of life? Matthew 7:21; Revelation 22:14.
Ponder This:
1. God’s law is the law of love. Thoughts Prom the Mount of Blessing, 144:1
The conditions of eternal life, under grace, are just what they were in Eden, perfect righteousness, harmony with God, perfect conformity to the principles of His law. The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. In every command or injunction that God gives, there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 116:1
Texts to Remember: Deuteronomy 5:22 Romans 3:20
Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 1 John 3:4
Revelation 22:14
Define or Identify:
Discern
Mirror
Standard
Knowledge of sin
Motive
To judge
Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Romans 7:12.
The law was not spoken at this time exclusively for the benefit of the Hebrews. God honored them by making them the guardians and keeper* of His law, but it was to be held al a sacred trust for the whole world. The precepts of the Ten Commandments are adapted to all mankind, and they were given for the instruction and government of all. Ten precepts, brief, comprehensives and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellow man; and all band upon the great fundamental principle of love. Patriarchs and Prophets, 305:2.
Nature of God’s Law
1. What is the nature of God’s law? Psalm 19:740; Romans 7:12, 14.
The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation of the will and the character of Its Author. God to love, and His law in love. Its two great principles are love to God and love to man. “Love is the, fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10. The character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of His law. Such a law, being an expression of the mind and will of God, must be as enduring as Its Author. The Great Controversy, 467:1.
2. God’s law is like God and just as enduring.
3. What made the law of God or the Ten Commandments so distinctive, so different from all the other laws of Israel? Deuteronomy 5:1-5, 22-26.
4. How is it proved that God’s law is eternal?
God’s commandments are righteousness, and His righteousness is everlasting; therefore the commandments are everlasting, or eternal.
Divisions of the Law of God
Satan had claimed that it was impossible for man to obey God’s commandments; and in our own strength it is true that we cannot obey them.
First (Love to God) Second (Love to Man)
“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:40.
But Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God’s precepts. Christ’s Object Lessons, 314:1 10. What is the most eloquent sermon that can be preached on the law of God?
Ponder This:
The most eloquent sermon that can be preached upon the law of Ten Commandments is to do them. Obedience should be made a personal duty. Testimonies, Volume 4, 58:2.
Texts to Remember:
Psalm 19:7 Psalm 111:7,8 Romans 7:12 Psalm 89:34 Matthew 22:36-40
Define or Identify: Alter
Ten Commandments Immutable law
Transcript
If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. John 15: 10.
God requires perfection of His children. His law is a transcript of His own character, and it is the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may he no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will have to Compose His kingdom. The life of Christ on earth was a perfect expression of God’s law, and when those who claim to he children of God become Christ like in character, they will be obedient to God’s commandments. Then the Lord can trust them to be of the number who shall compose the family of heaven. Clothed in the glorious apparel of Christ’s righteousness, they have a place at the King’s feast. They have a right to-join the blood-washed throng. Christ’s Object Lessons. 315:1.
Purpose and Power of Jesus’ Life
1. What did Jesus say of the purpose of His life? Luke 22:42; John 4:34; 5:30.
2. How did Jesus relate Himself to the commandments? Matthew 5:17; John 15: 10.
3. According to prophecy, what was Jesus to do with the law? Isaiah 42:21.
4. Notice how Jesus magnified the law:
His mission was to “magnify the law, and make it honorable!” Isaiah 42:21. He was to show the spiritual nature of the law, to present its far reaching principles, and to make plain Its eternal obligation. Thoughts Prom the Mount of Blessing, 79:1.
The Bible points out the sin in our fives and shows us how to be like Jesus, our Example.
5. How did Jesus emphasize the necessity of obeying the commandments? Matthew 19:16-19.
6. When Christ died on the cross, from what did He redeem us? Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:13.
7. How did Jesus show that the law would not be done away with at the cross? Matthew 5:17-19.
Speaking of the law, Jesus said, “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” [Matthew 5:17.1 He here used the word “fulfill” in the same sense as when He declared to John the Baptist His purpose to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). That is, to fill up the measure of the law’s requirement, to give an example of perfect conformity to the will of God. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 78:2.
8. Interpret the meaning of the word “fulfill” as it is used in Matthew 5:17, 18 in the light of the following
texts:
By His own obedience to the law, Christ testified to its immutable character, and proved that through His grace it could be perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam. He does not teach that the law is ever to be abrogated, but He fixes the eye upon the utmost verge of man’s horizon, and assures us that until this point is reached, the law will retain Its authority, so that none may suppose it was His mission to abolish the precepts of the law. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 79:3.
The law reveals the attributes of God’s character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law, but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for man’s redemption. The Desire of Ages, 762:1.
Jesus did not come to abolish the law, magnified its teachings and mode them live.
9. By His death, for what human weakness did Jesus make provision? Romans 8:3, 4.
10. What does faith in Christ do to the law? Romans 3:31.
The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the greatest argument that the law could not be done away with. Could the law have been abolished, there would have been no need of His meeting its penalty and tasting death for every man. I saw that it was impossible for God to alter or change His law, to save lost, perishing man; therefore He suffered His beloved Son to die for man’s transgression. Early Writings, 152:1.
The Test of Discipleship
11. What is included in the “whole duty of man”? Ecclesiastes 12:13.
12. How do we demonstrate our love for Jesus? John 14:15.
13. Of what is obedience a symbol? 1 John 2:3, 4; 5:2, 3.
14. What is one of the characteristics by which the remnant church will be known? Revelation 12:17;
14:12.
15. How can we harmonize faith in Jesus, the law, the gospel, and discipleship? 2 John 5, 6, 9.
16. We are saved
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 5:17-19
Matthew 19:17
John 15: 10
1 John 2:3, 4
Thou shall have no other gods before Me. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:3-6.
Jehovah, the eternal, self-existent, uncreated One, Himself the source and sustainer of all, is alone entitled to supreme reverence and worship. Man is forbidden to give to any other object the first place in his affections or his service. Whatever we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, of that do we make a god.
The second commandment forbids the worship of the true God by images or similar. Many heathen nations claimed that their images were mere figures or symbols by which the Deity was worshiped; but God has declared such worship to be sin. The attempt to represent the Eternal One by material objects would lower man’s conception of God. The mind, turned away from the infinite perfection of Jehovah, would be attracted to the creature rather than to the Creator. And as his conceptions of God were lowered, so would man become degraded. Patriarchs and Prophets, 305:3 to 306:1.
Idol Worship Early in History
In the days of Noah, false worship had become fully developed.
In the green fields, and under the shadow of the goodly trees, they set up the altars of their idols. Extensive groves, that retained their foliage throughout the year, were dedicated to the worship of false gods. With these groves were connected beautiful gardens, their long, winding avenues overhung with fruit-bearing trees of all descriptions, adorned with statuary, and furnished with all that could delight the senses or minister to the voluptuous desires of the people, and thus allure them to participate in the idolatrous worship. Patriarchs and Prophets, 91:1.
2. What caused the men of Noah’s time to reject his preaching?
The men of that generation were not all, in the fullest acceptation of the term, idolaters. Many professed to be worshipers of God. They claimed that their Idols were representations of the Deity, and that through them the people could obtain a clearer conception of the divine Being. This class were foremost in rejecting the preaching of Noah. As they endeavored to represent God by material objects, their minds were blinded to His majesty and power; they ceased to realize the holiness of His character, or the sacred, unchanging nature of His requirements Had the men of that generation obeyed the divine law, they would have recognized the voice of God in the warning of His servant. But their minds had become so blinded by rejection of light that they really believed Noah’s message to be a delusion. Patriarchs and Prophets, 95:1
3. From early times, what have been the objects of worship among the nations of earth? Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3, last part.
4. Which of the heavenly bodies has been most widely worshiped? Ezekiel 8:16. The sun and moon were objects of worship to the Egyptians. Patriarchs and Prophets, 272:1. Baal [was.] the sun-god of Phoenicia. The Great Controversy, 583:1. The worship of images is a form of idolatry which the law of God does not sanction.
Idolatry Was Israel’s Downfall
Other Kinds of Idols and Idolatry
7. Note other forms of idolatry. Isaiah 2:8, 9, 20.
8.Is it possible to receive help from an idol? 1 Kings 18:25-28; Psalm 115:4-8; Habakkuk 2:18, 19.
Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian world today as verily as it existed among ancient Israel in the days of Elijah. The god of many professedly wise men, of philosophers, poets, politicians, journalists, the god of polished fashionable circles, of many colleges and universities, even of some theological institutions, is little better than Baal, the sun-god of Phoenicia. The Great Controversy, 583:1.
10. What part does such an “idolater” not have in the kingdom of heaven? Ephesians 5:5, last part.
11. Point out other ways in which the first commandment may be broken.
The parading of bows and ribbons ruffles and feathers, and gold and silver ornaments is a species of idolatry and is wholly inappropriate for the sacred service of God, where the eye of every worshiper should be single to His glory. All matters of dress should be strictly guarded, following closely the Bible rule. Fashion has been the goddess who has ruled the outside world, and she often insinuates herself into the church. Testimonies, Volume 5, 499:2 (1948 ed., 499:1).
12. Before the end of time, what will nearly all the world worship? Revelation 13:3, 4, 8, 12, 15.
God’s Promises and Punishments
13. What will God visit upon the children of those who break these commandments? Exodus 20:5.
14. Does the God of heaven permit children to be punished for their parents’ sins? Ezekiel 18:20.
It is inevitable that children should suffer from the consequences of parental wrong doing, but they are not punished for the parents’ guilt, except as they participate in their sins. It is usually the case, however, that children walk in the steps of their parents. By inheritance and example the sons become partakers of the father’s sin. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites, and debased morals, as well as physical disease and degeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from father to son, to the third and fourth generation. This fearful truth should have a solemn power to restrain men from following a course of sin. Patriarchs and Prophets, 306:3.
15. What is promised those who love God and keep His commandments? Exodus 20:6.
And to those who are faithful in His service, mercy is promised, not merely to the third and fourth generation as is the wrath threatened against those who hate Him, but to thousands of generations-Patriarchs and Prophets, 306:4.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:3-6
Revelation 13:3, 4, 8, 12, 15
2 Kings 17:5-18
Define or Identify.
Idol
Idolatry
Image
Similitude
Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7.
This commandment not only prohibits false oaths and common swearing, but it forbids us to use the name of God in a light or careless manner, without regard to its awful significance. By the thoughtless mention of God in common conversation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him. “Holy and reverend is His name.” Psalm 111:9. All should meditate upon His majesty, His purity and holiness, that the heart may be impressed with a sense of His exalted character; and His holy name should be uttered with reverence and solemnity. Patriarchs and Prophets, 306:6.
The Name of the Lord Thy God
Great significance was attached to the names given by Hebrew parents to their children. Often these stood for traits of character that the parent desired to see developed in the child. Prophets and Kings, 481:0.
3. With what care should we use God’s name? Exodus 20:7; Psalm 111:9.
Some think it a mark of humility to pray to God in a common manner, as if talking with a human being. They profane His name by needlessly and irreverently mingling with their prayers the words, “God Almighty,” awful, sacred words, which should never pass the lips except in subdued tones and with a feeling of awe. Gospel Workers, 176:3.
Oath Taking
4. Does the third commandment forbid the taking of the judicial oath?
The example of Jesus is worthy of our study. The high priest said to, Jesus, “I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Matthew 26:63.
Our Savior did not forbid the use of the judicial oath, in which God IS solemnly called to witness that what is said is truth, and nothing but the truth. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 104: 0.
5. Who, of all people, can consistently testify under the judicial oath, “Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
But if there is anyone who can consistently testify under oath, it is the Christian. He lives constantly as in the presence of God, knowing that every thought is open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. And when required to do so in a lawful manner, it is right for him to appeal to God as a witness that what he says is the truth, and nothing but the truth. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 104:2.
Profanity
6. What is profanity?
While the prohibition of profanity in speech, or cursing, is not the primary object of the third commandment, it is nevertheless included. What we speak of as common swearing has been called “the most gratuitous of all sins” because it is “not only sinful, but useless.” It is silly, vulgar, and profane. The word “profane” is composed of two Latin words, pro, meaning “in front of,” and fane, meaning “the temple.” It indicates irreverence for holy things. It is defying God, as it were, in the very vicinity of His holy temple. It is trampling reverence, the queen of virtues, underfoot. The door of God’s holy temple, representing His presence, is closed in the face of the profane.
Profanity is never a sign of intelligence. It is always most prevalent among the crude, uncultured, and illiterate. If it is intended as humor, it is humor of a very low order. If there is no God it is useless and worse than vanity, a sign of crass ignorance. Would anyone be so debased and irreverent as to profane the name of his mother, sister, wife, or sweetheart? What then should be our attitude toward the name of One who is as high above us as the heavens are higher than the earth, One who is infinitely Pure and holy? Taylor G. Bunch, The Ten Commandments, 67:2 to 68:1.
The fourth commandment tells who the Creator is and how we are to give Him honor.
The second and third commandments are the only two that contain a threat. Of the third it is said that the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Many are inclined to look upon profanity as a small matter, but this awful threatening should convince them that the Lord considers vain worship as one of the worst of sins, one that will not go unpunished.
10. How only can God’s name be hallowed?
God’s name can be hallowed only by doing His will on earth as it is done in heaven, which is the evidence of heavenly citizenship. Taylor G. Bunch, The Ten Commandments, 75:4.
11. How seriously did Jesus say we should speak? Matthew 5:33-37.
Jesus proceeded to lay down a principle that would make oath taking needless. He teaches that the exact truth should be the law of speech. “Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.” [Matthew 5:39], RV.
These words condemn all those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity. They condemn the deceptive compliments, the evasion of truth, the flattering phrases, the exaggerations, the misrepresentations in trade, that are current in society and in the business world. They teach that no one who tries to appear what he is not, or whose words do not convey the real sentiment of his heart, can be called truthful. Thoughts Prom the Mount of Blessing, 105:1,2.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:7 Psalm 111:9
Define or Identify:
Blasphemy
Repetition
Profanity
Reverence
Take a name in vain
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11.
The Sabbath is not introduced as a new institution but as having been founded at creation. It is to be remembered and observed as the memorial of the Creator’s work. Pointing to God as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, it distinguishes the true God from all false gods. All who keep the seventh day, signify by this act that they are worshipers of Jehovah.
God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to he cared for. But unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided Those who discuss business matters or lay plans on the Sabbath, are regarded by God as though engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. Patriarchs and Prophets, 307:2, 3.
Why a Sabbath
1. Why did God make “His wonderful works”? Psalm 111:4.
2. What institution is especially designed to help man remember creation? Exodus 20:8-11; 31:16,17.
Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man’s thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship; and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. The Great Controversy, 438:0.
3. For whose benefit was the Sabbath made? Mark 2:27, 28.
God reserved the seventh day as a period of rest for man, for the good of man as well as for His own glory. He saw that the wants of man required a day of rest from toll and care, that his health and life would be endangered without a period of relaxation from the labor and anxiety of the six: days. Testimonies, Volume 1, 532:1.
One of the best ways to remember the Sabbath is to worship God in His sanctuary.
4. Show that the Sabbath was kept before the law was spoken from Sinai:
The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. This fourth commandment begins with the word “remember,” showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote this law on tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this commandment has been done away with when they will admit that the other nine are binding? Dwight L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting, 47:1.
The New Testament Sabbath
5. What is said of Jesus’ custom on the Sabbath? Luke 4:16.
6. What day of the week was kept as the Sabbath by the disciples of Jesus at the time of the crucifixion? Luke 23:54 to 24:1.
7. What indication is there that Jesus expected His disciples to keep the Sabbath even after the crucifixion? Matthew 24:20.
8. Notice Paul’s habits on the Sabbath:
9. On what day does John, in, the Revelation, indicate that he received that great prophetic outline of last-day events? Revelation 1:10.
10. What day is the only one that God has claimed as “the Lord’s day”? Exodus 20:8-11; Isaiah 58: 13, 14; Mark 2:27, 28.
How to Keep the Sabbath
11. What marks the beginning and ending of the Sabbath? Leviticus 23:32.
12. How do we know what is meant by “even”? Deuteronomy 16:6; Mark 1:32.
13. What Biblical evidence do we have that God intends that there shall be an assembly for worship on the Sabbath? Leviticus 23:3; Hebrews 10: 25.
A convocation is an assembly or meeting of people.
14. When are we to prepare for the Sabbath? Exodus 16:5; Luke 23:54, 56.
15. Spirit of prophecy counsel for proper Sabbath observance:
16. How can we know that Saturday in these modern times is the identical Sabbath God blessed at the creation week in the beginning?
17. In the new earth what will be the special day for worship? Isaiah 66:23.
Great blessings are enfolded in the observance of the Sabbath, and God desires that the Sabbath day shall be to us a day ofjoy. Testimonies, Volume 6, 349:1.
To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as. His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God’s government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise. Testimonies, Volume 6, 350:2.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:8-11
Isaiah 66:23
Exodus 31:16, 17
Mark 2:27, 28
Define or Identify:
Atheist
Memorial
“Even to even”
“Remember”
Evolutionary theory
“Think not your own thoughts.”
Verily My Sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the Lord that does sanctify you. Exodus 31:13.
Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man’s thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God, “Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” [Revelation 14:7] The Great Controversy, 438:0.
A Seal and Its Use
A seal is defined to be an instrument of sealing, that which is used by individuals, corporate bodies, and states, for making Impressions on wax, upon instruments of writing, as an evidence of their authenticity! The original word in this text is defined, “A seal, i.e., a signet ring; a mark, stamp, badge; a token, a pledge!” The verb signifies: “To secure to anyone, to make sure; to set a seal or mark upon anything in token of its being genuine or approved; to attest, to confirm, to establish, to distinguish by a mark.” Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 454:5.
2. What other words are used synonymously with seal?
By comparing Ezekiel 9:4 with Revelation 7:3 it will be found that the words “seal” and “mark” are used in the Bible as synonymous terms.
3. Explain the use of a seal.
A seal is used to render valid or authentic any enactment or laws that a person or power may promulgate. A seal is used in connection with some law or enactment that demands obedience, or upon documents that are to be made legal, or subject to the provisions of law. The idea of law is inseparable from a seal. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 455:1, 2.
God’s seal will never be Placed upon any person who deliberately disobeys God’s law.
4. Note the use of the seal in Old Testament times. 1 Kings 21:8; Esther 8: 8.
5. What three things are found on a seal?
The name or descriptive title of the person or power using the seal, the territory covered, and the right to rule.
6. What is to be done with the law? Isaiah 8:16.
7. Which commandment alone of the Ten Commandments reveals the name, authority, and dominion of the Author of this law? Exodus 20: 8-11.
The seal of God is that part of His law which contains His name, or descriptive title, showing who He is, the extent of His dominion, and His right to rule. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 456:5.
8. What is the Sabbath between God and His people? Exodus 31:16,17.
9. Of what two things is the Sabbath a sign? Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:20.
The Sabbath is the sign of God’s creative power, whether manifested in creation or redemption; for redemption is creation-re-creation. It requires the same power to redeem that it does to create. “Create in me a clean heart!” Psalm 51:10. “We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2:10. God designs that each Sabbath shall call Him to mind as the One who created us, and whose grace and sanctifying power are working in us to fit us for His eternal kingdom. Bible Readings for the Home, 442.
A Special Sealing Work Predicted
10. What message does an angel bear before the close of probation? Revelation 7:1-4. (Compare Ezekiel 9:1-6.)
11. Where are these 144,000 seen little later, and what do they bear in their foreheads? Revelation 14: 1.
12. What is said of their character? Revelation 14:12.
As the Sabbath was the sign that distinguished Israel when they came out of Egypt to enter the earthly Canaan, so it is the sign that now distinguishes God’s people as they come out from the world to enter the heavenly rest. The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors. Testimonies, Volume 6, 349:1,3.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 31:13 Revelation 14:1 Revelation 7:14 Revelation 14:12
Define or Identify:
Authorize
Mark Sign
37. SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
In the early part of the fourth century, the emperor Constantine issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the Roman Empire. The day of the sun was reverenced by his pagan subjects, and was honored by Christians; it was the emperor’s policy to unite the conflicting interests of paganism and Christianity. He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church, who, inspired by ambition and thirst for power, perceived that if the same day was observed by both Christians and heathen, it would promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans, and thus advance the power and glory of the church. But while many God-fearing Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of the Lord, and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment.
The arch deceiver had not completed his work. He was resolved to gather the Christian world under his banner, and to exercise his power through his vicegerent, the proud pontiff who claimed to be the representative of Christ. Through half-converted pagans, ambitious prelates, and world-loving churchmen, he accomplished his purpose. Vast councils were held from time to time, in which the dignitaries of the church were convened from all the world. In nearly every council the Sabbath which God had instituted was pressed down a little lower, while the Sunday was correspondingly exalted. Thus the pagan festival came finally to be honored as a divine institution, while the Bible Sabbath was pronounced a relic of Judaism, and its observers were declared to be accursed.
The great apostate had succeeded in exalting himself “above all that is called God, or that is worshiped.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4. He had dared to change the only precept of the divine law that unmistakably points all mankind to the true and living God. In the fourth commandment, God is revealed as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and is thereby distinguished from all false gods. It was as a memorial of the work of creation that the seventh day was sanctified as a rest day for man. It was designed to keep the living God ever before the minds of men as the source of being and the object of reverence and worship. Satan strives to turn men from their allegiance to God, and from rendering obedience to His law; therefore he directs his efforts especially against that commandment which points to God as the Creator.
Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on Sunday made it the Christian Sabbath. But Scripture evidence is lacking. No such honor was given to the day by Christ or His apostles. The observance of Sunday as a Christian institution had its origin in that “mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:7, RV) which, even in Paul’s day, had begun its work. Where and when did the Lord adopt this child of the papacy? What valid reason can be given for a change which the Scriptures do not sanction? The Great Controversy, 53:1 to 54:1.
1. How many times is the phrase “the first day of the week” found in the New Testament? The phrase “the first day of the week” is found eight times in the New Testament.
Matthew 28:1 John 20: 1
Mark 16:2 John 20:19
Mark 16:9 Acts 20:7
Luke 24: 1 1 Corinthians 16:2
While the word Sunday is not found in the Scriptures, it is the first day of the week. Therefore the references to the first day of the week refer to Sunday.
2. To what particular day in Christ’s life do the first six of these eight texts refer? The first six of the preceding texts refer to the day of His resurrection.
3. Observations on these resurrection-day texts:
4. How much importance is attached to the event of the resurrection by Paul? 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.
5. While the resurrection of Jesus, as an event, is of supreme importance, what evidence is there that the day of the resurrection was to be considered a day of worship or a day of rest?
No mention is made of any such sanctity being given to, or placed on, this day.
6. Does the divinely inspired record of Jesus’ life and teaching contain any statement, direct or implied, that the Sabbath was to be changed from the seventh day to the first day?
On the contrary, Jesus told His disciples that in the light of the coming destruction of Jerusalem they were to pray that their “flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day!” Matthew 24:20. Thus for thirty-nine years the disciples were still praying that they be not required to desecrate their Sabbath day-the seventh day of the week.
7. Do the apostles in their writings teach that there was to be a change in the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday, the first day of the week?
There is no such teaching.
8. What did Jesus command His followers to teach all nations? Matthew 28:19, 20.
9. What significance is there to the breaking of bread mentioned in Acts 20:7?
The breaking of bread did not imply a religious gathering, or a holy day. Acts 2:46 says that they did this
“daily,” therefore there would be no special significance to this particular breaking of bread. And this breaking of bread occurred after midnight on the night following “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7-11); therefore, if there were any religious significance to the act, that religious significance would be for the day following “the first day of the week.”
10. What about the laying by in store on “the first day of the week” in 1 Corinthians 16:2?
“The collection for the saints” was an offering that Paul wished to take from the Gentile churches to the poor at Jerusalem. In this verse, Paul is simply asking the believers to “lay by in store, as God hath prospered that there be no gatherings when I come.” 1 Corinthians 16:2. Each Sunday morning, as Christian believers calculated the profit or loss of the previous week’s work, they were to lay aside the part they wished to send to the “saints.” This was an act to be done in, the accounting room rather than in the church. Therefore no meeting, or sanctity of any day, is even implied in this text.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 24:20
Matthew 28: 1
Mark 16:2, 9
Luke 24:1
Acts 20:7
John 20:1,19
1 Corinthians 16:2
Define or Identify:
“Daily ... breaking bread”
“For fear of the Jews”
Sunday
And he answering said, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. Luke 10:27.
The law given upon Sinai was the enunciation of the principle of love, a revelation to earth of the law of heaven. It was ordained in the hand of a Mediator, spoken by Him through whose power the hearts of men could be brought into harmony with its principles. God had revealed the purpose of the law when He declared to Israel, “You shall be holy men unto Me.” Exodus 22:3. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 75:4.
God’s Eternal Law
Jesus and the Commandments
Obedience is the test of discipleship. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 210: 1.
Origin and Purpose of God’s Law
First and Second Commandments
1. When does an object become to us a god?
2. Explain why we cannot use images as symbols of God and in this way worship God.
3. Name some objects which have been used extensively as objects of worship in past and current history.
The Third Commandment
The Fourth Commandment
The Seal of God
Sunday in the New Testament
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
The will of God as it relates to moral conduct is comprehended in His law of Ten Commandments. These are great moral, unchangeable precepts, binding upon all men in every age. Exodus 20:1-17.
“The second [commandment] is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matthew 22:39.
Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives thee. Exodus 20:12.
Parents are entitled to a degree of love and respect which is due to no other person. God Himself, who has placed upon them a responsibility for the souls committed to their charge, has ordained that during the earlier years of life, parents shall stand in the place of God to their children. And he who rejects the rightful authority of his parents, is rejecting the authority of God. The fifth commandment requires children not only to yield respect, submission, and obedience to their parents, but also to give them love and tenderness, to lighten their cares, to guard their reputation, and to succor and comfort them in old age. It also enjoins respect for ministers and rulers, and for all others to whom God has delegated authority. Patriarchs and Prophets, 308:2.
The Responsibility of Children
1. What words did God speak from Sinai concerning children and their parents? Exodus 20:12.
2. What is a son to do with the instruction of his father and what is he not to do regarding the law of his mother? Proverbs 1:8.
3. How much does obedience to parents include? Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20.
Children who dishonor and disobey their parents, and disregard their advice and instructions, can have no part in the earth made new. The purified new earth will be no place f or the rebellious, the disobedient, the ungrateful, son or daughter. Unless such learn obedience and submission here, they will never learn it; the peace of the ransomed will not be marred by disobedient, unruly, anti submissive children. Testimonies, Volume 1, 497:2.
4. Under what circumstances could a child rightfully refuse to obey a parent?
As in every other case of obedience to those in positions of responsibility, only when the obedience required conflicts with God’s commands is one at liberty to refuse to obey:
The child Jesus set an example to all young people by honoring His mother and Joseph. The ideal home is to be a training center for every boy and girl.
c. Paul says: “Obey your parents in the Lord.” Ephesians 6: 1.
5. What distinction does the fifth commandment have? Ephesians 6:2, 3.
This is the first commandment with promise. It is binding upon childhood and youth, upon the middle-aged and the aged. There is no period in life when children are excused from honoring their parents. This solemn obligation is binding upon every son and daughter, and is one of the conditions to their prolonging their lives upon the land which the Lord will give the faithful. Testimonies, Volume 2, 80:1.
6. Does God assure a son or a daughter salvation if his parents have lived godly lives? Ezekiel
14:13-20.
Notwithstanding all the anxiety and faithfulness of parents in behalf of their children, they alone cannot save them. There is a work for the children to do. Every child has an individual case to attend to. Messages to Young People, 338: 1.
7. What should be one of the principal studies of children?
Children who are Christians will prefer the love and approbation of their God-fearing parents above every earthly blessing. It should be one of the principal studies of their lives how to make their parents happy. Messages to Young People, 335:1
8. The example of Jesus in the home. Luke 2:51.
Jesus is our example. There are many who dwell with interest upon the period of His public ministry, while they pass unnoticed the teaching of His early years. But it is in His home life that He is the pattern for all children and youth. The Desire of Ages, 74:4.
9. In what list of conditions does Paul place disobedience to parents? 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
10. Whom should we honor?
Ponder This:
4. The education and training of their children to be Christians is the highest service that parents can render to God. By a neglect of this trust we prove ourselves unfaithful stewards. No excuse for such neglect will be accepted by God. Christ’s Object Lessons, 195:2.
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:12 Ephesians 6: 1
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Define or Identify:
Guard reputation
Honor Respect To obey
Thou shall not kill. Exodus 20:13.
All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life. The spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm for “who hates his brother is a murderer” [see 1 John 3:15, New Testament in the Webster Version]. A selfish neglect of caring for the needy or suffering; all self-indulgence or unnecessary deprivation or excessive labor that tends to injure health, all these are, to a greater or less degree, violations of the sixth commandment. Patriarchs and Prophets, 308:5.
The Value of Human Life
All men have been bought with this infinite price. Christ’s Object Lessons, 326:1.
The Taking of Life
4. On what condition was a man to be put to death? Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:16-19.
5. Why was Cain’s life spared? Genesis 4:9-16.
Notwithstanding that Cain had by his crimes merited the sentence of death, a merciful Creator still spared his life, and granted him opportunity for repentance. But Cain lived only to harden his heart, to encourage rebellion against the divine authority, and to become the head of a line of bold, abandoned sinners.
In sparing the life of the first murderer, God presented before the whole universe a lesson bearing upon the great controversy. The dark history of Cain and his descendants was an Illustration of what would have been the result of permitting the sinner to live on forever, to carry out his rebellion against God. The forbearance of God only rendered the wicked more bold and defiant in their iniquity. Fifteen centuries after the sentence pronounced upon Cain, the universe witnessed the fruition of his influence and example, in the crime and pollution that flooded the earth. It was made manifest that the sentence of death pronounced upon the fallen race for the transgression of God’s law was both just and merciful. Patriarchs and Prophets, 78:1,2.
6. What provision was made in the laws of ancient Israel for one who killed someone without enmity, hatred, or intention to do harm? Numbers 35:22-29.
7. Under those laws how many witnesses were required before anyone could be put to death? Deuteronomy 17:13.
8. Why is it that the heart of the sons of men is so fully set to do evil? Ecclesiastes 8:11.
The New Testament Teaching
9. Who is now recognized as responsible for the punishment of evildoers? Romans 13:14. He is even called “the minister of God to execute wrath upon him that does evil.” Romans 13:4.
10. Where does murder have its beginning? Matthew 5:21, 22; 1 John 3:15.
11. Who was a murderer from the beginning? John 8:44.
Offenses Punishable by Death in Old Testament Times
15. Name offenses which carried the death sentence under the theocracy:
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:13 Ecclesiastes 8:11 Matthew 5:44,45
Define or Identify:
Hatred
“Inhumanity to man”
Revenge
“Vengeance is Mine, said the Lord.”
Thou shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14.
This commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. Purity is demanded not only in the outward life, but in the secret intents and emotions of the heart. Christ, who taught the far-reaching obligation of the law of God, declared the evil thought or look to he as truly sin as is the unlawful deed. Patriarchs and Prophets, 308:7.
Marriage and Divorce
1. Where and by whom was the first marriage celebrated? Genesis 2:2i-24.
God celebrated the first marriage. Thus the; Institution had for its originator the Creator of the universe. “Marriage is honorable” (Hebrews 13:4); It was one of the first gifts of God to man, and it is one of the two institutions that, after the fall, Adam brought with him beyond the gates of Paradise. When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; it guards the purity and happiness of the race, it provides for man’s social needs, it elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature. Patriarchs and Prophets, 46:3.
The instruction given to Abraham, touching the sacredness -of the marriage relation, was to be a lesson for all ages. It declares that the rights and happiness of this relation are to be carefully guarded, even at a great sacrifice. Patriarchs and Prophets, 147: 1.
5. For how long does marriage bind the contracting parties? Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:39.
6. What commandments were designed particularly to safeguard family life? Exodus 20:14, 17.
The family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred, of any on earth. It was designed to be a blessing to mankind. And it is a blessing wherever the marriage covenant is entered into intelligently, in the fear of God, and with due consideration for Its responsibilities. The Ministry Of Healing, 356:4.
7. How did our Savior interpret the seventh commandment? Matthew 5:27, 28.
8. Under what circumstances only may the marriage relationship be dissolved? Matthew 5:32; 19:9. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus declared plainly that there could be no dissolution of the marriage tie, except for unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. Thoughts From the Mount Of Blessing, 99:1.
9. When, then, only does anyone have the right to remarry? Matthew 5:32; 19:9.
Even though the Scriptures allow divorce for “unfaithfulness to the marriage vow,” earnest endeavors should be made by those concerned to effect a reconciliation urging the innocent spouse to forgive the guilty one and the latter to amend his (or her) conduct, so that the marriage union may be maintained.
In the event that reconciliation is not effected, the innocent spouse has the Biblical right to secure a divorce, and also to remarry. Church Manual, 241, articles 2, 3.
10. Among what other sins is the violation of the seventh Commandment listed? Galatians 5:19, 20; Ephesians 5:3, 4.
11. What should the Christian avoid? 1 Thessalonians 5:22.
12. How closely should we guard our thoughts and words? 1 Corinthians 15:33; Ephesians 4:29.
13. Upon what are Christians admonished to think? Philippians 4:8.
14. What outstanding example of purity is found in the Scriptures? Genesis 39:7-23.
15. What privilege is in store for the pure in heart? Matthew 5:8.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:14 Matthew 5:8 Matthew 5:27,28
Philippians 4:8
Define or Identify:
Grounds for divorce
Lust
“Marriage is honorable”
42. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shall not steal. Exodus 20:15.
The eighth commandment condemns man stealing and slave dealing, and forbids wars of conquest. It condemns theft and robbery. It demands strict integrity in the minutest details of the affairs of life. It forbids overreaching in trade, and requires the payment of just debts or wages. It declares that every attempt to advantage one’s self by the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another, is registered as fraud in the books of heaven. Patriarchs and Prophets, 309:1.
Stealing From Our Fellow Man
Adam and Eve, at their creation, had a knowledge of the law of God; they were acquainted with its claims upon them; its precepts were written upon their hearts.
Adam taught his descendants the law of God, and it was handed down from father to son through successive generations-Patriarchs and Prophets, 363:1, 2.
6. What follower of Jesus was willing to restore fourfold to those whom he had defrauded? Luke 19:8.
7. The eighth commandment established what fundamental right of man? It is a fundamental right of all to possess property.
Stealing From God
8. Give the answers to the two questions in Malachi 3:8.
9. Is the tithing system still in force? Matthew 23:23.
The tithing system was no burden to those who did not depart from the plan. The system enjoined upon the Hebrews has not been repealed or relaxed by the One who originated it. Testimonies, Volume 3, 392:0.
All that is withheld of that which God claims, the tenth of the increase, is recorded in the books of heaven against the withholders, as robbery. Testimonies, Volume 3,394:3.
10. What was Paul’s counsel to those who steal? Ephesians 4:28.
11. Whom did Jesus call a thief and a robber? John 10: 1.
The Pharisees did not discern that these words were spoken against them.
Christ is the door to the fold of God. Through this door all His children, from the earliest times, have found
entrance. Many have come presenting other objects for the faith of the world; ceremonies and systems have been devised by which men hope to receive justification and peace with God, and thus find entrance to His fold. But the only door is Christ, and all who have interposed something to take the place of Christ, all who have tried to enter the fold in some other way, are thieves and robbers. The Desire of Ages, 477:2,3.
12. What words of hope did Jesus speak to the repentant thief on the cross? Luke 23:42, 43.
13. What condition of the last days involving fraud did James mention? James 5:1-8.
14. What will “thieves” never inherit? 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
Ponder This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:15
John 10: 1
Ephesians 4:28
Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Exodus 20:16.
False speaking in any matter, every attempt or purpose to deceive our neighbor, is here included. An intention to deceive is what constitutes falsehood. By a glance of the eye, a motion of the hand, an expression of the countenance, a falsehood may he told as effectively as by words. All intentional overstatement, every hint or insinuation calculated to convey an erroneous or exaggerated impression, even the statement of facts in such a manner as to mislead, is falsehood. This precept forbids every effort to injure our neighbor’s reputation by misrepresentation or evil surmising, by slander or tale bearing. Even the intentional suppression of truth, by which injury may result to others, is a violation of the ninth commandment. Patriarchs and Prophets, 309:3.
Lying and Deception
Modern spiritualism, and the forms of ancient witchcraft and Idol worship -all having communion with the dead as their vital principle-are founded upon that first lie by which Satan beguiled Eve in Eden: “You shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day you eat thereof you shall be as gods!’ Genesis 3:4, 5. Alike based upon falsehood and perpetuating the same, they are alike from the father of lies. Patriarchs and Prophets, 685:2.
4. Of the seven things that are an abomination to God, which ones are related to the ninth commandment? Proverbs 6:16-19.
5. What provision was made to deal with false witnesses in the days of Israel? Deuteronomy 19:15-20.
Biblical Examples
6. Whose tragic experience was recorded in the divine record as a solemn warning to all who tell that which is not true? Acts 5:1-11.
Infinite Wisdom saw that this signal manifestation of the wrath of God was necessary to guard the young church from becoming demoralized. Their numbers were rapidly increasing. The church would have been endangered it, in the rapid increase of converts, men and women had been added who, while professing to serve God, were worshiping mammon. This judgment testified that men cannot deceive God, that He detects the hidden sin of the heart, and that He will not be mocked. It was designed as a warning to the church, to lead them to avoid pretense and hypocrisy, and to beware of robbing God.
From the stern punishment meted out to those perjurers, God would have us learn also how deep is His hatred and contempt for all hypocrisy and deception. In pretending that they had given all, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, and as a result, they lost this life and the life that is to come. The same God who punished them, today condemns all falsehood. The Acts of the Apostles, 73:4; 75:1
7. Relate the experience of Gehazi. 2 Kings 5:20-27.
Solemn are the lessons taught by this experience of one to whom had been given high and holy privileges. The course of Gehazi was such as to place a stumbling block in the pathway of Naaman, upon whose mind had broken a wonderful light, and who was favorably disposed toward the service of the living God. For the deception practiced by Gehazi there could be pleaded no excuse. To the day of his death he remained a leper, cursed of God, and shunned by his fellow men. Prophets and Kings, 252:1.
8. Should we tell a lie to save our life?
Even life Itself should not be purchased with the price of falsehood. By a word or a nod the martyrs might have denied the truth and saved their lives. By consenting to cast a single grain of incense upon the idol altar they might have been saved from the rack, the scaffold, or the cross. But they refused to be false in word or deed, though life was the boon they would receive by so doing. Imprisonment, torture, and death, with a clear conscience, were welcomed by them, rather than deliverance on condition of deception, falsehood, and apostasy. By fidelity and faith in Christ they earned spotless robes and jeweled crowns. Testimonies, Volume 4, 336:2.
End of Those Who Are Untruthful
11. What has God prepared for the devil and his angels? Matthew 25:41.
12. Who else is to be in “the lake which burns with fire and brimstone”? Revelation 21:8.
13. Those who do the commandments are to enter in through the gates of the New Jerusalem. Revelation 22:14. Where are those who love and make lies to be? Revelation 22:15.
14. What prayer should every Christian pray? Psalm 19:14.
Ponder This:
1. Men think they are representing the justice of God, but they do not represent His tenderness and the great love wherewith He has loved us. Their human invention, originating with the specious devices of Satan, appears fair enough to the blinded eyes of men, because it is inherent in their nature. A lie, believed, practiced, becomes a truth to them. Thus the purpose of the satanic agencies is accomplished, that men should reach these conclusions through the working of their own inventive minds. Testimonies to Ministers, 363:4.
2. All who do not earnestly search the Scriptures and submit every desire and purpose of life to that unerring test, all who do not seek God in prayer for a knowledge of His will, will surely wander from the right path and fall under the deception of Satan. Testimonies, Volume 5, 192:3.
3. Falsehoods Satan has told:
4. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. Testimonies, Volume 5. 80:1.
5. Never are we justified in telling that which is not true. We may not always be able to tell all we know, but we should never tell what we know to be untrue. Many times, silence is golden. “In the multitude of words there wants not sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19.
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:16
1 Peter 2:21-23
John 8: 44
Revelation 14:5
Define or Identify:
Evil surmising Exaggeration
Hypocrisy
Intent to deceive Misrepresentation
Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. Exodus 20:17.
The tenth commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act. He who in obedience to God’s law refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another, will not he guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow creatures. Patriarchs and Prophets, 309:5.
The Nature of Covetousness
1. Mat is covetousness?
Covetousness is defined as follows:
To long inordinately for something that is another’s. It implies especially excessive desire for what belongs to another. Webster.
Examples of Covetousness
8. Study the parable of the rich man as recorded in Luke 12:16-21.
9. What application of this parable did Jesus make? Luke 12:20.
10. What did covetousness lead Achan to do? Joshua 7:20-22.
11. What did the same sin lead Judas to do? Mark 14:10, 11.
12. In Christ’s time, of what sin were the Pharisees guilty? Luke 16:14.
13. Review briefly the experience of Balaam in his effort to obtain riches. Numbers 22; 23; 24.
Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. Patriarchs and Prophets, 439:2.
14. What is the love of money declared to be? 1 Timothy 6: 10.
15. What does Paul admonish the Christian to covet? 1 Corinthians 12:31.
16. What sins are especially offensive to God? Psalm 10: 3.
The sins which man is disposed to look upon as small may be the ones which God accounts as great. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven, while pride, selfishness, and covetousness go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God. Testimonies, Volume 5, 337:2.
The greatest sin which now exists in the church is covetousness. God frowns upon His professed people for their selfishness. Testimonies, Volume 1, 194:2.
Ponder This:
The second [commandment] is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Matthew 22:39.
Everything in nature, from the mote in the sunbeam to the worlds on high, is under law. And upon obedience to these laws the order and harmony of the, natural world depend. So there are great principles of righteousness to control the life of all intelligent beings, and upon conformity to these principles the wellbeing of the universe depends. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 77:2.
The Filth Commandment
The Sixth Commandment
The Seventh Commandment
The Eighth Commandment
The Ninth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
The law of Ten Commandments points out sin, the penalty of which is death. The law cannot save the transgressor from his sin, nor impart power to keep him from sinning. In infinite love and mercy, God provides a way whereby this may be done. He furnishes a substitute, even Christ the Righteous One, to die in man’s stead, making “Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. We are justified, not by obedience to the law, but by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. By accepting Christ, man is reconciled to God, justified by His blood for the sins of the past, and saved from the power of sin by His indwelling life. Thus the gospel becomes “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” Romans 1:16. This experience is wrought by the divine agency of the Holy Spirit, who convinces of sin and leads to the Sin Bearer, inducting the believer into the new-covenant relationship, where the law of God is written on his heart, and through the enabling power of the indwelling Christ, his life is brought into conformity to the divine precepts. The honor and merit of this wonderful transformation belong wholly to Christ.
“Now we know that what things so ever the law said, it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God!” Romans 3:19-23.
With the great sacrifice offered upon Calvary, ended that system of offerings which for four thousand years had pointed forward to the Lamb of God. Type had met antitype, and all the sacrifices and oblations of the ceremonial system were there to cease. The Great Controversy, 328:0.
There are many who try to blend these two systems, using the texts that speak of the ceremonial law to prove that the moral law has been abolished; but this is a perversion of the Scriptures. The distinction between the two systems is broad and clear. The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood Concerning the law of Ten Commandments the psalmist declared, “Forever, 0 Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89. And Christ Himself says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law. Verily I say unto you,” making the assertion as emphatic as possible, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17, 18. Here He teaches, not merely what the claims of God’s law had been, and were then, but that these claims should hold as long as the heavens and the earth remain. The law of God is as immutable as His throne. It will maintain its claims upon mankind in all age. Patriarchs and Prophets, 365:1.
1. Distinguish between the law of God, or the Ten Commandments, and the law of Moses. (See next page.)
2. Was the law of Moses all ceremonial law, or law of types and symbols?
While we speak of the law of Moses as one law, yet it is made up of many laws which could be classified as national or civil laws, health and sanitary laws, ecclesiastical and sacrificial laws, and laws pertaining to their religious life. It was the law of types and ordinances, not God’s law that was nailed to the cross.
3. Distinction between the two laws is very clear:
There can be no question but that God intended that there should be a clear distinction between the Ten Commandments and the laws He gave Moses to write. God spoke the Ten Commandments to Israel (Deuteronomy 5:2-24), and then God Himself wrote them on stone and gave them to Moses.
After Moses broke the first tables, God commanded Moses to hew out two tables, and God Himself wrote the Ten Commandments a second time on stone. Deuteronomy 10:1-4. On the other hand, “The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 365:1.
Think:
1. Those who claim that Christ came to abrogate the law of. God and to do away with the Old Testament, speak of the Jewish age as one of darkness, and represent the religion of the Hebrews as consisting of mere forms and ceremonies. But this is an error. All through the pages of sacred history, where the dealings of God with His chosen people are recorded, there are burning traces of the great I AM. Never has He given to the sons of men more open manifestations of His power and glory than when He alone was acknowledged as Israel’s ruler, and gave the law to His people. Here was a scepter swayed by no human hand; and the stately goings forth of Israel’s invisible King were unspeakably grand and awful. Patriarchs and Prophets, 365:4.
The law is the gospel enclosed; the gospel is the law disclosed.
The law is the gospel concealed; the gospel is the law revealed.
The law is the gospel fullness delayed; the gospel is the law fullness portrayed.
The law is the gospel in minimum; the gospel is the law in maximum.
The law is the gospel contained; the gospel is the law maintained.
The law is the gospel sighted; the gospel is the law lighted.
The law is Christ designed; the gospel is Christ enshrined. F. C. Gilbert, Practical Lessons From the
Experience of Israel, 1914 ed., 392:2.
4. “The ritual or ceremonial law, delivered by Moses to the children of Israel, containing all the injunctions and ordinances which related to the old sacrifices and service of the temple, our Lord indeed did come to destroy. But the moral law, contained in the Ten Commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He did not take away.”
“In the highest rank of the enemies of the gospel of Christ, are they who openly and explicitly ‘judge the law’ itself, and ‘speak evil of the law;’ who teach men to break all the commandments at a stroke; who teach, without any cover, in so many words, What did our Lord do with the law? He abolished it. There is but one duty, which is that of believing. All commands are unfit for our times. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!” John Wesley, “Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount,” Discourse 5, in Works, 1829 ed., Volume 5, pp. 311, 317. (Bible Readings for the Home, 400.)
Texts to Remember:
Psalm 19:7
Matthew 5:17-19 Colossians 2:14
Define or Identify: God’s character
Moral principle
Ordinances
Ritual
Types and shadows
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. Colossians 2:14.
The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood. This ritual law, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be performed by the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Then all the sacrificial offerings were to cease. It is this law that Christ “took out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” Colossians 2:14. Patriarchs and Prophets, 365:1.
The ceremonial law was given by Christ. Even after it was no longer to he observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true position and value, showing its Place in the plan of redemption and its relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious, worthy of its divine Originator. The solemn service of the sanctuary typified the grand truths that were to be revealed through successive generations. The cloud of incense ascending with the prayers of Israel represents His righteousness that alone can make the sinner’s prayer acceptable to God. The bleeding victim on the altar of sacrifice testified of a Redeemer to come; and from the holy of holies the visible token of the divine presence shone forth. Thus through age after age of darkness and apostasy, faith was kept alive in the hearts of men until the time came for the advent of the promised Messiah
Since the Savior shed His blood for the remission of sins, and ascended to heaven “to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24), light has been streaming from the cross of Calvary and from the holy places of the sanctuary above. But the clearer light granted us, should not cause us to despise that which in earlier times was received through the types pointing to the coming Savior. The gospel of Christ sheds light upon the Jewish economy, and gives significance to the ceremonial law. Patriarchs and Prophets, 367:2,4.
The Ceremonial Law
1. What is the ceremonial law? Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:13, 14.
The law of commandments with regulations. Ephesians 2:15, Berkeley Version of the New Testament.
The death of the lamb as a sacrifice for sin represented Christ’s death for mankind.
Red ledger of regulations that was standing against us and took it out of the way, when He nailed it to the
cross. Colossians 2:14, Berkeley Version of the New Testament.
Bond written in ordinances. Colossians 2:14, Moulton’s, Modern Reader’s Bible.
The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood. Patriarchs and Prophets, 365:1.
2. When was the ceremonial system begun? Genesis 4:1-5.
This is the first mention made in the Bible of sacrifices, but the mention is made as though it was a thing already known and understood by those who were to take part in it.
They [Cain and Abel] were acquainted with the provision made for the salvation of man, and understood the system of offerings which God had ordained. They knew that in these offerings they were to express faith in the Savior whom the offerings typified, and at the same time to acknowledge their total dependence on Him for pardon. And they knew that by thus conforming to the divine plan for their redemption, they were giving proof of their obedience to the will of God. Without the shedding of blood, there could be no remission of sin; and they were to show their faith in the blood of Christ as the promised atonement, by offering the firstlings of the flock in sacrifice. Besides this, the first fruits of the earth were to be presented before the Lord as a thank offering. Patriarchs and Prophets, 71:2.
3. What was added in Abraham’s day? Genesis 17:9-14.
It [circumcision] was to be observed by the patriarch and his descendants as a token that they were devoted to the service of God and thus separated from idolaters, and that God accepted them as His peculiar treasure. Patriarchs and Prophets, 138:1.
[Circumcision was] a pledge that they would remain separate from Idolatry, and would obey the law of God. Patriarchs and Prophets, 363:2.
4. So far as the Biblical record is concerned, when were the rest of the rites and ordinances added?
The Lord gave them at Sinai definite instruction concerning the sacrificial service. After the completion of the tabernacle, He communicated with Moses from the cloud of glory above the mercy seat, and gave him full directions concerning the system of offerings, and the forms of worship to be maintained in the sanctuary. The ceremonial law was thus given to Moses, and by him written in a book. Patriarchs and Prophets, 364:31.
5. Distinguish among the several laws written in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy:
21-24 are of this general class.
d. Health laws, such as those contained in the book of Leviticus. They may have had some implications of purification, but their main reason for being was that they indicated things good or bad for the health of individuals.
c. Ceremonial laws-those that had to do with the sacrifices, ordinances, and rites of their religious worship.
Moses was commanded to write, as God should bid him, judgments and laws giving minute instruction as to what was required. These directions relating to the duty of the people to God, to one another, and to the stranger, were only the principles of the Ten Commandments amplified and given in a specific manner, that none need err.
There are many who try to blend these two systems, using the texts that speak of the ceremonial law to prove that the moral law has been abolished; but this is a perversion of the Scriptures. The distinction between the two systems is broad and clear. The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood. This ritual law, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be performed by the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Then all the sacrificial offerings were to cease. It is this law that Christ “took out of the way, nailing it to His cross!” Colossians 2:14. Patriarchs and Prophets, 364:1; 365:1.
The Ceremonial Law Pointed to Jesus
6. Were sinners ever justified by making the sacrifices and obeying the ordinances of the ceremonial law? Hebrews 9:9, 10.
7. How was Christ’s death to affect “the sacrifice and the oblation”? Daniel 9:26, 27.
8. How can it be said that the law having to do with the sacrifices and offerings was nailed to the cross? Colossians 2:14.
Since all the sacrifices and offerings represented Jesus, and were a type of Him in His great sacrifice for man, as He hung on the cross, He was a fulfillment of all of them. Henceforth no such sacrifice of animals, or other such offerings, would be required, neither would they avail anything.
When the loud cry, “it is finished” (John 19:30), came from the lips of Christ, the priests were officiating in the temple. It was the hour of the evening sacrifice. The lamb representing Christ had been brought to be slain. Clothed in his significant and beautiful dress, the priest stood with lifted knife, as did Abraham when he was about to slay his son. With a rending noise the inner veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom by an unseen hand, throwing open to the gaze of the multitude a place once filled with the presence of God.
All is terror and confusion. The priest is about to slay the victim; but the knife drops from his nerveless hand, and the lamb escapes. Type has met antitype in the death of God’s Son. The great sacrifice has been made. The way into the holiest is laid open. The Desire of Ages, 756:5 to 757: 1.
The Sabbath
Ceremonial Law
The Ceremonial Law Was Nailed to the Cross
9. Could the Sabbath be nailed to the cross? What was nailed to the cross?
10. Note that the sacrifices, offerings, feasts, and other symbols of the ceremonial law ceased at the cross, while the Sabbath extends from Eden to Eden. The Sabbath Reaches From Creation into the New Earth:
Those Ceasing at the Cross:
Ceremonies
Feasts.
Offerings
Passover
Sacrifices
Symbols
Types
Think:
5. All who came in contact with death in any way were considered ceremonially unclean. This was to forcibly impress the minds of the Hebrews with the fact that death came in consequence of sin and therefore is a representative of sin. Testimonies, Volume 4,120:2.
Texts to Remember: Colossians 2:13-17 Hebrews 9:9, 10
Define or Identify:
Passover
Type meets antitype
Sacrifice
“Veil was rent in twain”
For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8.
Another compact called in Scripture the “old covenant” was formed between God and Israel at Sinai, and was then ratified by the blood of a sacrifice. The Abrahamic covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ, and it is called the “second,” or “new” covenant, because the blood by which it was scaled wag shed after the blood of the first covenant. That the new covenant was valid in the days of Abraham, is evident from the fact that it was then confirmed both by the promise and by the oath of God of the “two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie.” Hebrews 6:18. Patriarchs and Prophets, 371:1.
The Old Covenant
To agree with, to enter into a formal agreement. To bind oneself by contract. An agreement between two or more persons or parties, or one of the stipulations in such an agreement. Webster.
2. Where and with whom did God make the old covenant? Exodus 19:1-8.
3. What proposition did God submit to them? Exodus 19:5-6.
4. After Moses had explained the terms of the covenant to the people, what was the unanimous response? Exodus 19:8; 24:1
5. Tell how this covenant was ratified. Exodus 24:3-8; Hebrews 9:18-21.
6. Before Moses had finished his audience with God and come down from the mountaintop, what had Israel done? Exodus 32:7, 8.
What was wrong? Just this: The people could not fulfill their part of the agreement. The fault was with them. They were carnally minded and could not be subject to a spiritual and holy law. They were seeking to establish their own righteousness by their own efforts, not realizing that without divine help they could do nothing. When they had tried to clothe themselves with right doing, they found themselves covered only with the filthy rags of sin. William H. Branson, Drama of the Ages, 359:2.
7. What, then, was wrong with the old covenant? Hebrews 8:7, 8.
The old covenant was a system of reform without Christ. It was a covenant of works from which Christ, the only Mediator of righteousness and peace, was entirely excluded. William, H. Branson, Drama of the Ages, 359:3.
The terms of the “old covenant” were, Obey and live: “If a man do, he shall even live in them” (Ezekiel 20: 11; Leviticus 18:5); but “cursed be he that conforms not all the words of this law to do them” (Deuteronomy 27:26). The “new covenant” was established upon “better promises” [Hebrews 8:6-8] the promise of forgiveness of sins, and of the grace of God to renew the heart, and bring it into harmony with the principles of God’s law. Patriarchs and Prophets, 372:1.
8. Was the old covenant the Ten Commandments, the moral law?
Many have erroneously supposed that the old covenant was the moral law, the Ten Commandments, and that when the New Covenant was ratified, the law was annulled and set aside. The old covenant was not the Ten Commandment law, but was instead an agreement made between God and the people regarding the keeping of His commandments. “If you will obey, you shall live,” was God’s promise. To this the people replied: “All that Jehovah hath said will we do, and be obedient.” Exodus 24:7. This was the covenant agreement. It was about the keeping of the Ten Commandment law, but it was not the law itself. The law was only the subject. William H. Branson, Drama of the Ages, 359:5.
The New Covenant
10. With whom did God make the new covenant? Hebrews 8:8, 9.
11. How did the new covenant differ from the old one? Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 8:3, 4; Hebrews 8:9, 10. The new covenant is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27. (See also Ephesians 3:16-20; Philippians 4:11). Which shall we honor-the Sabbath of the Creator, or Sunday, the tradition of men?
12. Who is the Mediator of this covenant? Hebrews 8:1, 6; 12:24.
13. Where there is a covenant, what is necessary? Hebrews 9:16, 17.
14. Where and how was this new covenant ratified? John 19:30; 20:17.
Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, and through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves His Son. The Desire of Ages, 790:1
15. With what allegory did Paul make evident the difference between the two covenants? Galatians 4:21-31.
16. In the study of this lesson what conclusion do we reach regarding salvation? Ephesians 2:8-10.
It [the old covenant] was not an instrument of salvation. Those who have been saved, on either side of the cross, have been saved by faith in Jesus Christ and by His power dwelling in the heart. William H. Branson, Drama of the Ages, 367:2.
The Two Covenants Were Alike in That
The Two Covenants Were Different in That OLD COVENANT
OLD COVENANT
Think:
1. In the councils of peace that were held between the Father and the Son, a complete plan was devised by which, If man sinned, he could be redeemed (see Zechariah 6:12, 13). It was impossible that the plan should be based upon the idea of setting aside the death penalty, and there must be provided a substitution death that would meet all the demands of a broken law. In order to save man, God would have to pay the penalty of man’s sins.
Texts to Remember:
Jeremiah 31:33
Ephesians 2:8-10
Hebrews 8: 8-10
Define or Identify:
“Better promises”
Ratify
Covenant
Righteousness by works
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14.
There are two errors against which the children of God-particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace-especially need to guard. The first, already dwelt upon, is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility.
The opposite and no less dangerous error is, that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption. Steps to Christ, 64:1 to 65:1.
Under the Law
1. What does the phrase “under the law” mean?
It is evident that in one sense all men, the entire human race, are under the law of God, under its jurisdiction, under its dominion, since this earth belongs to God and is a part of its universe. Surely Paul cannot mean that Christians are not under the law in this sense. On the other hand, it is clear that there is “no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1. Therefore the phrase “you are not under the law” (Romans 6:14) must mean not under the condemnation of the law because of being in Christ Jesus.
Under Grace
2. What is grace?
Grace is defined to be favor or kindness, disposition to show mercy, clemency, pardon, divine favor unmerited by man.
Grace is an attribute of God exercised toward undeserving human beings. We did not seek for it, but it was sent in search of us. The Ministry of Healing 161:2.
To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character. Christ’s Object Lessons, 271:1.
3. What is God’s plan for all men? 1 Timothy 2:4; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9.
4. Since all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), how can God save us? Romans 3:24-26; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 1:91.
5. How did Jesus answer the question, “Lord, are there few that be saved?” Luke 13:23-27.
The low shows us the marks of sin, but we are cleansed only by the grace of Jesus.
6. By what means are we saved? Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8.
Divine grace is the great element of saving power; without it all human effort is unavailing. Gospel Workers, 70:1.
7. What does it mean to be “under grace”?
It means to be under the favor of God, His mercy, His pardon. This is made possible by being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:24.
8. When we have come “under grace” or have God’s favor, can we sin?
Yes, we can (1 John 2: 1), but God does not so design it. Paul says emphatically, “God forbid [that we should choose to sin].” Romans 6:15.
9. Contrast sin and its results with God’s gift-eternal life:
b. “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. Satan’s pay is unrelentingly sure.
10. Does faith make void the law of God? Romans 3:31.
Think:
Texts to Remember:
Romans 3:31
Romans 8:1
Titus 2:11
Romans 6:14
Ephesians 2:8
Now we know that what things so ever the law sad it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:19,23.
The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian. The Ministry of Heating, 470:1.
The Two Laws
Jesus and the Ceremonial Law
The Two Covenants
The “new covenant” was established upon “better promises” the promise of forgiveness of sins, and of the grace of God to renew the heart. Patriarchs and Prophets, 372:1.
Not Under the Law, but Under Grace
Is law found only in the Old Testament and grace only in the New Testament?
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
The Second Coming of Christ is the great hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel and plan of salvation. His coming will be literal, personal, and visible. Many important events will be associated with His return, such as the resurrection of the dead, the destruction of the wicked, the purification of the earth, the reward of the righteous, the establishment of His everlasting kingdom. The almost complete fulfillment of various lines of prophecy, particularly those found in the books of Daniel and the Revelation, with existing conditions in the physical, social, industrial, political, and religious worlds, indicates that Christ’s coming “is near, even at the doors!” Matthew 24:33. The exact time of that event has not been foretold. Believers are exhorted to be ready, for “in such an hour as you think not the Son of man” (Matthew 24:44) will be revealed.
“The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.” Daniel 2:47.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine Which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8. Daniel 1, 3, 6 and Prophets and Kings, 479:1 to 490:2, 503:1 to 513:1; 539:1 to 548:2
Among the children of Israel who were carried captive to Babylon at the beginning of the seventy years’ captivity were Christian patriots, men who were as true as steel to principle, who would not be corrupted by selfishness, but who would honor God at the loss of all things. In the land of their captivity these men were to carry out God’s purpose by giving to heathen nations the blessings that come through a knowledge of Jehovah. They were to be His representatives. Never were they to compromise with idolaters; their faith and their name as worshipers of the living God they were to bear as a high honor. And this they did. In prosperity and adversity they honored God; and God honored them. Prophets and Kings, 479:1.
A Decisive Test
True success in any line of work is not the result of chance or accident or destiny. It is the outworking of God’s providence, the reward of faith and discretion, of virtue and perseverance. Fine mental qualities and a high moral tone are not the result of accident. God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them.
To make God’s grace our own, we must act our part. His grace is given to work in into will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort.
How did they become fitted for a position of so great trust and honor? It was faithfulness in little things that gave complexion to their whole life. They honored G6d in the smallest duties, as well as in the larger responsibilities. Prophets and Kings, 486:2 to 487:2.
Among those who maintained their allegiance to God were Daniel and his three companions,-illustrious examples of what men may become who unite with the God of wisdom and power. From the comparative simplicity of their Jewish home, these youth of royal line were taken to the most magnificent of cities, and into the court of the world’s greatest monarch. Seeing in these youth the promise of remarkable ability, Nebuchadnezzar determined that they should be trained to fill important positions in his kingdom. That they might be fully qualified for their lifework, he arranged for them to learn the language of the Chaldeans, and for three years to be granted the unusual educational advantages afforded princes of the realm. Prophets and Kings, 480:1,2.
Rewarded for Faithfulness
Like the three faithful Hebrew youth, we must put God above friends or position.
8. Relate what took place, pointing out particularly how they were honored for their faithfulness. Daniel 3:19-27.
But the Lord did not forget His own. As His witnesses were cast into the furnace, the Savior revealed Himself to them in person, and together they walked in the midst of the fire. In the presence of the Lord of heat and cold, the flames lost their power to consume. Prophets and Kings, 508:1
9. How did Nebuchadnezzar know what the Son of God was like? Daniel 3:25.
The Hebrew captives filling positions of trust in Babylon had in life and character represented before him the truth. When asked for a reason of their faith, they had given it without hesitation. Plainly and simply they had presented the principles of righteousness, thus teaching those around them of the God whom they worshiped. They had told of Christ, the Redeemer to come; and in the form of the fourth in the midst of the fire the king recognized the Son of God. Prophets and Kings, 509:2.
10. Was it right for the king to make a decree demanding that his subjects reverence the God of the Hebrews? Daniel 3:28, 29.
It was right for the king to make public confession, and to seek to exalt the God of heaven above all other gods. But in endeavoring to force his subjects to make a similar confession of faith and to show similar reverence, Nebuchadnezzar was exceeding his right as a temporal sovereign. He had no more right, either civil or moral, to threaten men with death for not worshiping God, than he had to make the decree consigning to the flames all who refused to worship the golden Image. God never compels the obedience of man. He leaves all free to choose whom they will serve. Prophets and Kings, 510:4.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
11. To what position was Daniel promoted following the overthrow of Babylon by Medo-Persia? Daniel 6:1-3.
12. How only could the jealous princes find any occasion against Daniel? Daniel 6:4, 5.
13. Relate the story as recorded in Daniel 6:6-28.
14. What lesson may we learn from Daniel’s deliverance?
The wicked opposition to God’s servant was now completely broken.
From the story of Daniel’s deliverance, we may learn that in seasons of trial and gloom, God’s children
should be just what they were when their prospects were bright with hope and their surroundings all that they could desire. Daniel in the lions’ den was the same Daniel who stood before the king as chief among the ministers of state and as a prophet of the Most High. A man whose heart is stayed upon God will be the same in the hour of his greatest trial as he is in prosperity, when the light and favor of God and of man beam upon him. Faith reaches to the unseen, and grasps eternal realities. Prophets and Kings, 545:1, 2.
Stop to Consider:
5. In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul Itself. The Desire of Ages, 466:4.
Texts to Be Remembered:
Daniel 1:8
Daniel 3:17, 18
Daniel 6:5
Define or Identify:
Discretion
Compromise
Pulse as food
Integrity
Defile
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He reveals His secret unto His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7.
It was Christ that spoke to His people through the prophets. The apostle Peter, writing to the Christian church, says that the prophets “prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ Which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10,11. It is the voice of Christ that speaks to us through the Old Testament. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10. Patriarchs and Prophets, 366:3.
The Prophet and His Work
1. What were prophets called in olden times?
2. What was the work of a prophet?
Evidences of a True Prophet
3. How is a true prophet recognized?
4. Name four women who had the gift of prophecy in Old Testament times.
Prophecy in the Christian Church
5. Who were some in the New Testament, other than the apostles and Paul, who had the gift of prophecy?
The word of God, when humbly and faithfully studied, will point the way to heaven.
6. In Ephesians 4:8, we read that “He [Jesus] gave gifts unto men.” What five gifts were named by Paul as being bestowed on the church? Ephesians 4:11.
7. What provision has God made to protect His faithful people against the wrath of Satan in the last days? Revelation 12: 17; 19: 10, last part.
Stop to Consider:
Texts to Be Remembered:
Amos 3:7
Isaiah 8:20
Revelation 12:17; 19:10
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44.
In the history of nations the student of God’s word may behold the literal fulfillment of divine prophecy. Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement. The Medo-Persian realm was visited by the wrath of Heaven because in it God’s law had been trampled underfoot The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt; and these sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral worth.
The power exercised by every ruler on the earth is Heaven-imparted; and upon his use of the power thus bestowed, his success depends. Prophets and Kings, 501:3 to 502:1.
The King Troubled
The magicians practiced magic; they employed all the superstitious rites and ceremonies of fortunetellers, and the like. Astrologers were men who pretended to foretell events by the study of the stars. Sorcerers pretended to hold communication with the dead The Chaldeans here mentioned were a sect of philosophers similar to the magicians and astrologers, who made natural science and divinations their study. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 29:4.
Some have severely censured Nebuchadnezzar in this matter, as acting the part of a heartless, unreasonable tyrant. But what did these magicians profess to be able to do? To reveal hidden things, to foretell events, to make known mysteries entirely beyond human foresight and penetration, and to do this by the aid of supernatural agencies. There was therefore nothing unjust in Nebuchadnezzar’s demand that they should make known his dream. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 31:21.
In the divine prophecy of Daniel 2 the outline of world history is plainly foretold.
5. How did Daniel learn of the king’s decree? Daniel 2:13-16.
6. When Daniel’s request for time had been granted by the king, what did he and his companions do? Daniel 2:17, 18.
7. Read carefully Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving following God’s revelation of the king’s dream to him. Daniel 2:19-23.
The Dream and Its Interpretation
8. What was God’s purpose in giving the king this dream? Daniel 2.299 30.
9. Describe clearly what the king saw in his dream. Daniel 2:31-35.
10. Name the kingdoms represented by the different parts of the image. Daniel 2:36-40.
11. Explain Daniel 2:41-43. (See The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, by Uriah Smith, 55-63.)
12. After giving an interpretation of the dream, what did Daniel say about God’s kingdom and when it would be established? Daniel 2:44, 45.
13. What was Nebuchadnezzar’s response? Daniel 2:46, 47.
The king was convinced of the truth of the interpretation, and in humility and awe he “fell upon his face, and worshiped,” saying, “Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou could reveal this secret.” Daniel 2:47. Prophets and Kings, 499:2.
14. How were Daniel and his three companions rewarded by the king? Daniel 2:48, 49.
Stop to Consider:
Texts to Be Remembered:
Daniel 2:1-23
Daniel 2:29, 30
Daniel 2:44, 45
Define or Identify:
Dream
History
Magician
Prediction
Sorcerer
Daniel 7 and The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 105:1 to 116:2
From the rise and fall of nations as made plain in the books of Daniel and the Revelation, we need to learn how worthless is mere outward and worldly glory. Babylon, with all its power and magnificence, the like of which our world has never since beheld-power and magnificence which to the people of that day seemed so stable and enduring-how completely has it passed away! As “the flower of the grass” (James 1:10), it has perished. So perished the Medo-Persian kingdom, and the kingdoms of Greece and Rome. And so perishes all that has not God for its foundation. Only that which is bound up with His purpose, and expresses His character, can endure. His principles are the only steadfast things our world knows. Prophets and Kings, 548:1.
Daniel’s Dream
The Interpretation
5. What did these great beasts represent? Daniel 7:17.
6. What do the wind and the sea represent in prophecy? Daniel 7:2,3.
The great kingdoms that have ruled the world were presented to the prophet Daniel as beasts of prey, rising when the “tour winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.” Daniel 7.2. In Revelation 17, an angel explained that waters represent “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues!” Revelation 17:15. Winds are a symbol of strife. The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea, represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution by which kingdoms have attained to power. The Great Controversy, 439:1
7. What parallels exist between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7?
Daniel 2
Daniel 7
j. Saints of the Most High take the kingdom.
Lion-Babylon, 606 BC to 538 BC.
Bear-Medo-Persia, 538 BC to 331 BC.
Leopard-Greece, 331 BC to 168 BC.
“Dreadful and terrible beast” Rome, 168 BC to AD 476.
10. What kingdom follows these four? Daniel 7:26, 27.
11. What event marks the ushering in of God’s kingdom? Matthew 25:31.
But the full establishment of the kingdom of His glory will not take place until the Second Coming of Christ to this world. “The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,” is to be given to “the people of the saints of the Most High.” They shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them “from the foundation of the world.” Daniel 7:27; Matthew 25:34. And Christ will take to Himself His great power and will reign. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 159:3.
Stop to Consider:
Look For The Way Marks
Look for the way marks as you journey on.
Look for the way marks, passing one by one;
Down through the ages, past the kingdoms four
Where are we standing? Look the way marks over.
First, the Assyrian kingdom ruled the world,
Then Medo-Persia’s banners were unfurled.
And after Greece held universal sway,
Rome seized the scepter-where are we today?
Down in the feet of iron and of clay,
Weak and divided, soon to pass away.
What will the next great, glorious drama be?
Christ and His coming, and eternity.
Look for the way marks, the great prophetic way marks.
Down through the ages, past the kingdoms four.
Look for the way marks, the great prophetic way marks.
The journey’s almost over.
F. E. Belden
Texts to Be Remembered:
Daniel 7:2-14 Daniel 7:17
Define or Identify:
Horns
Sea
Winds
Wings
Man’s Attempt to Change God’s Law
And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:25.
Through the setting up of a false Sabbath, the enemy thought to change times and laws. But has he really succeeded in changing God’s law? The words of the thirty-first chapter of Exodus are the answer. He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, has declared of the seventh-day Sabbath: “It is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.” “It is a sign forever.” Exodus 31:13-17. The changed signpost is pointing the wrong way, but God has not changed. He is still the mighty God of Israel. And He is just as jealous for His law now as He was in the days of Ahab and Elijah. Prophets and Kings, 184:3.
Christ and the Law
The Antichrist and the Law of God
5. What false ecclesiastical power did Paul say would arise in the church? 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
6. What did Daniel, speaking of this same false system, say it would attempt to do? Daniel 7:25.
7. To what power do these prophecies undoubtedly refer?
These prophecies refer to the Roman Catholic Church.
“Those priests [famines] of Babylon alone desire to reign, they cannot tolerate an equal, they will not desist until they have trampled all things under their feet, and until they sit in the temple of God, and until they are exalted above all that is worshiped.
He who is servant of servants, desires to be Lord of lords, just as if he were God. He speaks great things as if he were truly God. He ponders new counsels under his breast, in order that he may establish his own rule for himself, he changes laws, he ordains his own laws, he corrupts, he plunders, he pillages, he defrauds, he kills that incorrigible man (whom they are accustomed to call Antichrist) on whose forehead an inscription of insult is written. ‘I am God, I cannot err.’ He sits in the temple of God, and has dominion far and wide. But as it is in the secrets of the holy writings, let him that reads understand: the learned will understand, all the wicked will act wickedly, neither will they understand.” (Translated from Ioannes Aventinus, Annales Boirum Libri Septem, 684)
The significance of Eberhard’s expression should not be lost-that men were “accustomed” in his day [his speech was made AD 1240], to call the pope “Antichrist.” He was but voicing dramatically what had become a widespread conviction and open declaration. LeRoy E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Volume 1, 800:2, 3.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE BIBLE
(Exodus 20:3-17)
1.
Thou shall have no other gods before Me.
2.
Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shall not how down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the. children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.
Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
4.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shall not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5.
Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives thee.
6.
Thou shall not kill.
7.
Thou shall not commit adultery.
8.
Thou shall not steal.
9.
Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10.
Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC TEN COMMANDMENTS
As Abbreviated in Vernacular Roman Catholic Catechisms
“He shall think himself able to change times and laws.” Daniel 7:25, Douay Version.
1 I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall not have strange gods before Me.
2 Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3 Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
4 Honor thy father and thy mother.
5 Thou shall not kill.
6 Thou shall not commit adultery.
7 Thou shall not steal.
8 Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9 Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
10 Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods.
Such as Keenan’s and Geiermann’s in English. The two vernacular catechisms here quoted and many more like them, bear the imprimatur of bishops of the Church and are used for teaching the laity.
“Here the pope is clearly pictured, who in all his decrees shouts impudently that all the churches and thrones will be judged by him, but he cannot be judged by anyone.” LeRoy E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Volume 2, 270:5.
Lambert Daneau (c. 1530-1595), Protestant jury consult and theologian, and pastor at Geneva, in his tract on the Antichrist, likewise contends that Antichrist is the pope, not Mohammed, with Rome as his seat, and that he appears only after the fall of Rome. LeRoy E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Volume 2, 349:1.
God’s eternal Ten Commandments have been tampered with by enemies of heaven.
9. At what church council did the bishops make Sunday a weekly rest day?
At the council of Laodicea the bishops made Sunday a weekly rest day.
Can. 29. Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day
they shall especially honor, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they Shall be shut out from Christ. Charles Joseph Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, Volume 2, 316:1.
It is best, with Remi Ceillier, Tillemont, and others, to place the meeting of the Synod of Laodicea generally somewhere between the years 343 and 381 and to give up the attempt to discover a more exact date. Charles Joseph Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, Volume 2, 298:1.
10. What is the first recorded recognition of Sunday as a legal rest day?
The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321 AD, enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday (venerabili die solis), with an exception in favor of those engaged in agricultural labor. The Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed., art. “Sunday,” Volume 26, 95:1.
It hath pleased the Church of God in her wisdom, that the religious celebration of the Sabbath day should be transferred to the Lord’s day. Theodore Alois Buckley, The Catechism of the Council of Trent, 398:3.
Q. How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
A. By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church. Henry Tuberville, An Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine (1833 approbation), 58. (See Bible Readings for the Home, 435.)
Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority-Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism, 3d American ed., 174:4, 5.
The Catholic church, by virtue of her Divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday. Catholic Mirror (Official organ of Cardinal Gibbons), Sept. 23, 1893.
12. What other change did the Catholic Church attempt to make in the law of God?
Ten precepts embodying e revealed expression of the Creator’s will in relation to man’s whole duty to God and to his fellow creatures Christ resumed these Commandments in the double precept of charity-love of God and of the neighbor. He proclaimed them as binding under the New Law in Matthew 19 and in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). The church, on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord’s Day. The Catholic Encyclopedia, article “Commandments of God,” Volume 4, 153.
13. What further testimony does the Catholic Church give as to the sanctity of the Sabbath?
Question. Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Question. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea
(AD 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. Peter Geiermann, The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 1923 ed., 50:14.
14. How does this same church confess that the Bible says nothing regarding the sanctity of Sunday?
Now the Scriptures alone do not contain all the truths which a Christian is bound to believe, nor do they explicitly enjoin all the duties which he is obliged to practice. Not to mention other examples, is not every Christian obliged to sanctify Sunday and to abstain on that day from unnecessary servile work? Is not the observance of this law among the most prominent of our sacred duties? But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify. James Cardinal Gibbons, Faith of Our Fathers, 76th ed., 86:1.
15. What does this church say regarding “tradition”?
Like two sacred rivers flowing from Paradise, the Holy Bible and Divine Tradition, both contain the Word of God, both are full of the precious jewels of revealed truths.
Though these two divine streams are in themselves, on account of their divine origin, of equal sacredness, and are both full of revealed truths, still, of the two, Tradition is to us more clear and safe. Joseph Faa di Bruno, Catholic Belief, 5th ed., 21:2, 3.
16. To what conclusion do church historians come regarding the origin of Sunday observance?
The Festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect, far from them, and from the early apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday. August Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church. Translated by Henry John Rose, p. 186. (Source Book for Bible Students, 5103
17. What question, asked by Elijah should be carefully considered by every individual living today? 1 Kings 18:21.
Stop to Consider:
Texts to Be Remembered:
Exodus 31:3, 17
Daniel 7:25
2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4
1 Kings 18:21
Matthew 5:17, 18
Define or Identify:
Antichrist Persecution
Time, times, dividing of time
Little horn Uproot
The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou could reveal this secret. Daniel 2:47.
What a lifework was that of these noble Hebrews [Joseph and Daniel]! As they bade farewell to their childhood home, how little did they dream of their high destiny! Faithful and steadfast, they yielded themselves to the divine guiding, so that through them God could fulfill His purpose.
The same mighty truths that were revealed through these men, God desires to reveal through the youth and the children of today. The history of Joseph and Daniel is an illustration of what He will do for those who yield themselves to Him, and with the whole heart seek to accomplish His purpose.
The greatest want of the world is the want of men-men who will not be bought or sold. Men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man. Education, 57:1-4.
Dare to Be a Daniel
The Ministry of Prophets
4. Name four early Christians, other than the apostles, who had the gift of prophecy.
World History Foretold
The Four Great Beasts of Daniel 7
The Little Horn
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, 0 king. But if not, be it known unto thee, 0 king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.” Daniel 3:17, 18.
fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17, 18.
17. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalted himself above an that is called God, or that is worshiped. So that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God!” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
18. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, winch keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.
19. “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, see thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19: 10.
I. Jesus In The Sanctuary
No prophetic period is given in the Bible to reach to the Second Advent, but the longest one, the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14, terminated in 1844, and brought us to an event called the cleansing of the sanctuary.
The true sanctuary, of which the tabernacle on earth was a type, is the temple of God in heaven, of which Paul speaks in Hebrews 8 and onward, and of which the Lord Jesus, as our great High Priest, is minister. And the priestly work of our Lord is the antitype of the work of the Jewish priests of the former dispensation. This heavenly sanctuary is the one to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14. Its cleansing being, as in the type, a work of judgment, beginning with the entrance of Christ as the high priest upon the judgment phase of His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary foreshadowed in the earthly service of cleansing the sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. This work of judgment in the heavenly sanctuary began in 1844. Its completion will close human probation.
“Thy way, 0 God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?” Psalm 77:13.
For thus said the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell hi the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15.
From eternal ages it was God’s purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saying grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the significance of the building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as holy temples for the divine Spirit. The Desire of Ages, 161:1.
A Sanctuary
Any place considered as a dwelling place of Deity, or as occupied by the personal divine Presence. Webster.
The question, What is the sanctuary? is clearly answered in the Scriptures. The term “sanctuary,” as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to the “true tabernacle” in heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed-The Great Controversy, 417:1.
It is interesting to note that “beauty of holiness” (Psalm 96:91) is translated in the margin of the King James Version of the Bible “in the glorious sanctuary;” in the margin of Psalm 29:2 the same expression is translated “in His glorious sanctuary.” Psalm 96:6 seems to put the two together: “Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.”
It is the beauty of holiness, a meek and quiet spirit, which is of value with God. The Great Controversy, 566:3.
The matchless splendor of the earthly tabernacle reflected to human vision the glories of that heavenly temple where Christ our forerunner ministers for us before the throne of God. The abiding place of the King of kings. The temple, filled with the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, Its shining guardians, veil their faces in adoration, could find, in the most magnificent structure ever reared by human hands, but a faint reflection of Its vastness and glory. The Great Controversy, 414:2.
2. What is said of God’s way? Psalms 68:24; 77:13.
3. From where does strength come? Psalm 20:2.
4. What is God to His people? Isaiah 8:14; Ezekiel 11:16.
5. Where was the psalmist drawn close to God? Psalm 73:17.
6. How does God want His sanctuary to be? Psalm 96:15; Isaiah 60:13.
God’s Throne a Sanctuary
7. Where does God dwell? Isaiah 57:15.
8. What has been the place of our sanctuary from the beginning? Jeremiah 17:12; Hebrews 1:8.
9. By analogy, what does Paul declare the heavenly sanctuary to be? Hebrews 9:24.
Paul declares the heavenly sanctuary to be “heaven itself.” Hebrews 9:24.
The heavenly temple, the abiding place of the King of kings, where “thousand thousands minister unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Him,” that temple filled with the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining guardians, veil their faces in adoration-no earthly structure could represent its vastness and its glory. Patriarchs and Prophets, 357:2.
In His suffering and death Jesus learned how to be a merciful, faithful High Priest.
Sanctuaries or Temples in the Earth
The tabernacle built in the wilderness had served the children of Israel for many years. But David felt that it was not fitting that God’s worship should be carried on in a tent when the children of Israel no longer dwelt in tents. He wanted to build a temple for God, but had been denied the privilege of building it. He had been a man of war, and God wanted Solomon, who was to be a man of peace, to build the temple. Solomon built it according to the plans drawn up by David. This temple was a beautiful structure, and the Jews were proud of it. It was destroyed at the time of the Babylonian captivity. Then Zerubbabel rebuilt it, and Herod spent some forty-six years in beautifying it. This latter building was destroyed when the Romans under Titus look Jerusalem in the year AD 70. It has never been rebuilt.
The Church a Sanctuary
15. What name was given to the body of Christ’s followers? Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47.
16. Upon what is this church built? Matthew 16:16; Ephesians 2:20-22.
17. What does the apostle Peter call it? 1 Peter 2:4-10.
18. Where are the names of the true members written? Revelation 3:5; 21:27.
19. What does Christ, who loves the church, desire it to be? Ephesians 5:25-27.
During ages of spiritual darkness, the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within Its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace. In which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts-The Acts of the Apostles, 12:1.
The church on earth, composed of those who are faithful and loyal to God, is the “true tabernacle?’ (Hebrews 8:2), whereof the Redeemer is the Minister.
A holy tabernacle is built up of those who receive Christ as their personal Savior.
Christ is the Minister of the true tabernacle, the High Priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Savior. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, Feb. 14, 1900.
Beautiful Things to Remember:
1. A sanctuary is where the divine Presence dwells, and any place God is, is holy.
Enoch’s heart was upon eternal treasures. He had looked upon the celestial city. He had seen the King in His glory in the midst of Zion. His mind, his heart, his conversation, were in heaven--Patriarchs and Prophets, 87:2.
d. Abraham met Him in the secret place of prayer and knew Him well.
e. Jacob met Him at Bethel and declared, “Surely the Lord is in this place.” Genesis 28:16.
f. Moses communed with Him in the mountain fastness, and returned to the people, his face aglow with the reflection of the divine Presence.
g. Prophets, priests, and kings met Him, and they considered the places where they met Him as sacred.
2. The tabernacle was built in the wilderness and later located at Shiloh. This was followed by a tent which David pitched for the ark for a short time. Then came the temple of Solomon, and that of Zerubbabel. This last one was more glorious than the former because the divine Son of God Himself taught in its courts. Herod’s temple was Zerubbabel’s temple beautified by forty-six years of work under the direction of Herod.
3. The church of God on earth is His temple.
4. The individual body is a temple of God if so be He dwells therein.
5. Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God. God is greatly to be reverenced; all who truly realize His presence will bow in humility before Him, and, like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out, “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” [Genesis 28:17.] Patriarchs and Prophets, 252:1.
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 25:8
Isaiah 57:15
1 Corinthians 3:16, 17
Define or Identify:
Church Sanctuary
Tabernacle
Temple Throne
Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:8.
Precious were the lessons taught to Israel during their sojourn at Sinai. This was a period of special training for the inheritance of Canaan. And their surroundings here were favorable for the accomplishing of God’s purpose. On the summit of Sinai, over shadowing the plain where the people spread their tents, rested the pillar of cloud which had been the guide of their journey. A pillar of fire by night, it assured them of the divine protection; and while they were locked in slumber, the bread of heaven fell gently upon the encampment. On every hand, vast, rugged heights, in their solemn grandeur, spoke of eternal endurance and majesty. Man was made to feel his ignorance and weakness in the presence of Him who has “weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance.” Isaiah 40:12. Here, by the manifestation of His glory, God sought to impress Israel with the holiness of His character and requirements, and the exceeding guilt of transgression.
But the people were slow to learn the lesson. Accustomed as they had been in Egypt to material representations of the Deity, and these of the most degrading nature, it was difficult for them to conceive of the existence or the character of the Unseen One.
In pity for their weakness, God gave them a symbol of His presence. “Let them make Me a sanctuary,” He said; “that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8. Education3 34:3 to 35:1.
The Pattern for the Tabernacle
The holy places made with hands were to be “figures of the true,” “patterns of things in the heavens” (Hebrews 9:24, 23). A miniature representation of the heavenly temple where Christ, our great High Priest, after offering His life as a sacrifice, was to minister in the sinner’s behalf-Patriarchs and Prophets, 343:2.
The Tabernacle and Its Furnishings
3. How long and how wide was the court that surrounded the tabernacle proper? Exodus 27:18.
Into the holy plate the priest went daily to serve the people. Here were the altar of incense. the seven pronged candlestick, and the table of show bread,
A common cubit was approximately one and a half feet, but the “sacred” or “royal” cubit used in the tabernacle was about twenty two inches; so the court of the tabernacle would be about 90 x 180 feet.
4. A careful study of the boards and curtains prescribed for the tabernacle (Exodus 25 to 27) reveals that the-tabernacle itself was ten cubits wide and thirty cubits long-”not more than fifty-five feet in length, and eighteen in breadth and height.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 347:1. It was divided by the “veil” into two compartments (Exodus 26:33), the holy and the most holy places. It faced the east, and was situated in the court in such a way as to place the rear of the tabernacle and the north and south sides twenty cubits-approximately thirty-six feet from the curtains that enclosed the court. The most holy place was so located as to make the ark come exactly in the center of the west half of the court. The altar of burnt offerings was in the exact center of the east half of the court.
As Christ’s ministration was to consist of two great divisions, each occupying a period of time and having, a distinctive place in the heavenly sanctuary, so the typical ministration consisted of two divisions, the daily and the yearly, and to each a department of the tabernacle was devoted. Patriarchs and Prophets, 357:3.
5. What articles of furniture were in the court? Exodus 40:13, 7.
6. What articles of furniture were in the holy place? Exodus 40:4, 5.
A diagram of the court and the sanctuary, showing the proportion of each and the arrangement of furniture in the court, the holy, and the most holy place.
7. What was in the most holy place of the sanctuary? Exodus 26:33, 34.
8. Was there any meaning to the different pieces of furniture in the earthly sanctuary?
Each article of furniture of the sanctuary, full of significance because of the part it played in the service of
the sanctuary, represented some feature of the work of redemption. The altar of burnt offerings in the court represented Calvary, where Jesus gave His life for sinful man. The laver, halfway between the altar and the door of the sanctuary Itself, symbolized the washing away of sin and the presence of the Innocent One; the golden candlestick, on the left as the sanctuary was entered, with its perfection number of lamps, represented Him who is the Light of the world. The table of show bread was the container of a representation of that Bread which is come down from heaven. The altar of incense symbolized the family altar, the secret place of prayer, or any other place where prayer is “wont to be made” (Acts 16:13). the ark of the covenant with the tables of the law inside, the mercy seat just above, and the covering cherubim with outstretched wings, represented the throne of God; and. the Shekinah, that mysterious light hovering over the mercy seat between the covering cherubim. Was the manifest presence of God Himself. He had said: “Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8. Life and Times of the Old Testament, 183:1.
9. What did the angels interwoven in the curtains of the tabernacle represent? Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 1:14.
These [the curtains], like the inner covering, which formed the ceiling, were of the most gorgeous colors, blue, purple, and scarlet, beautifully arranged, while inwrought with threads of gold and silver were cherubim to represent the angelic host who are connected with the work of the heavenly sanctuary, and who are ministering spirits to the people of God on earth. Patriarchs and Prophets, 347:2.
10. What are some of the names given this earthly tabernacle in the Bible?
11. Contrast these with the names given the heavenly sanctuary.
12. How do we know that this tabernacle was a figure, or type, of the heavenly sanctuary9 Hebrews 8:1-5.
The ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apartment of the sanctuary, “within the veil” (Hebrews 6: 19) which formed the door and separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work of ministration upon which Christ entered at His ascension. It was the work of the priest in the daily ministration to present before God the blood of the sin offering, also the incense which ascended with the prayers of Israel.
So did Christ plead His blood before the Father in behalf of sinners, and present before Him also, with the precious fragrance of His own righteousness, the prayers of penitent believers. Such was the work of ministration in the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven.
As anciently the sins of the people Were by faith placed upon the sin offering, and through its blood transferred, in figure, to the earthly sanctuary; so in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ, and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. And as the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded. The Great Controversy, 420:3; 421:1
What was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary. The Great Controversy, 420:2.
Beautiful Things to Remember:
1. The banners carried by the several tribes in their line of march seem to indicate some feature of Jesus’ work in the plan of salvation:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 25:8 Daniel 7: 10 Hebrews 8:1-5
Define or Identify:
Ark
Pattern
Symbol
Mercy seat
Shekinah
The number seven
Not only the sanctuary itself, but the ministration of the priests, was to “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5. Thus it was of great importance; and the Lord, through Moses, gave the most definite and explicit instruction concerning every point of this typical service. The ministration of the sanctuary consisted of two divisions, a daily and a yearly service. The daily service was performed at the altar of burnt offering in the court of the tabernacle, and in the holy place; while the yearly service was in the most holy. Patriarchs and Prophets, 351:4.
Christ was the foundation and fife of the temple. Its services were typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. The priesthood was established to represent the mediator character and work of Christ. The entire plan of sacrificial worship was a foreshadowing of the Savior’s death to redeem the world. Them would be no efficacy in then Offerings, when the great event toward which they had pointed for ages was consummated.
Since the whole ritual economy was symbolical of Christ, it had no value apart from Him- When the Jews scaled their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless in putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple. When Christ was crucified, the inner veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, signifying that the great final sacrifice had been made, and that the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end. The Desire of Ages, 165:3, 4.
The Priests
1. Who was chosen as the first high priest? Exodus 28:1-3.
2. Who were associated with him as priests? Exodus 28: 1; Numbers 18:1.
3. What tribe of the twelve was given to assist the priests in the work of the tabernacle? Numbers 18:2.
4. What was the responsibility of the priests? Numbers 18:1, 2, last part.
5. How were the priests dressed? Exodus 28:242.
The robe of the common priest was of white linen, and woven in one piece. It extended nearly to the feet, and was confined about the waist by a white linen girdle embroidered in blue, purple, and red. A linen turban, or miter, completed his outer costume.
The garments of the high priest were of costly material and beautiful workmanship, befitting his exalted station. In addition to the linen dress of the common priest, he wore a robe of blue, also woven in one piece. Around the skirt it was ornamented with golden bells, and pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet. Outside of this was the ephod, a shorter garment of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and white. It was confined by a girdle of the same colors, beautifully wrought. The ephod was sleeveless, and on its gold-embroidered shoulder pieces were set two onyx stones, bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Over the ephod was the breastplate, the most sacred of the priestly vestments. This was of the same material as the ephod. It was in the form of a square, measuring a span, and was suspended from the shoulders by a cord of blue from golden rings. The border was formed of a variety of precious stones, the same that form the twelve foundations of the City of God. Within the border were twelve stones set in gold, arranged in rows of four, and, like those in the shoulder pieces, engraved with the names of the tribes. The Lord’s direction was, “Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goes in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.” Exodus 28:29. So Christ, the great High Priest, pleading His blood before the Father in the sinner’s behalf, bears upon His heart the name of every repentant, believing soul. Says the psalmist “I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me!” Psalm 40:17. Patriarchs and Prophets, 350:2 to 351:1.
The Several Offerings
6. What sacrifices, or offerings were presented in the tabernacle each day? Numbers 28:1-8.
7. What special name was given to these sacrifices?
The morning and evening sacrifice. Exodus 29:38-42. (See also 1 Kings 18:29.)
Every morning and evening a lamb of a year old was burned upon the altar, with its appropriate meat offering, thus symbolizing the daily consecration of the nation to Jehovah, and their constant dependence upon the atoning blood of Christ. Patriarchs and Prophets, 352:1
8. Where do Christians get an example for morning and evening worship?
The hours appointed for the morning and the evening sacrifice were regarded as sacred, and they came to be observed as the set time for worship throughout the Jewish nation in this custom, the Christians have an example for morning and evening prayer. While God condemns a mere round of ceremonies, without the spirit of worship, He looks with great pleasure upon those who love Him, bowing morning and evening to seek pardon for sins committed, and to present their requests for needed blessings. Patriarchs and Prophets, 353:3.
9. To whom did these morning and evening sacrifices point? John 1:29, 36.
In the temple the morning and the evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God. The Desire of Ages, 44:1.
10. What sacrifices were presented on special occasions? Numbers 28:9 to 29:39.
11. Mention some of the special sin offerings. Leviticus 4.
The sacrificial offerings were ordained by God to be to, man a perpetual reminder and a penitential acknowledgment of his sin, and a confession of his faith in the promised Redeemer. They were intended to impress upon the fallen race the solemn truth that it was sin that caused death-Patriarchs and Prophets, 68:1.
The People’s Sins Accumulated in the Tabernacle
13. What happened to the sins that were confessed, day by day, by those who came to the tabernacle? Numbers 18:1.
The most Important part of the daily ministration was the service per. formed in behalf of individuals. The repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle, and placing his hand upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. By his own hand the animal was then slain, and the blood was carried by the priest into the holy place and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was, through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. In some cases the blood was not taken into the holy place; but the flesh was then to be eaten by the priest, as Moses directed the sons of Aaron, saying, “God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation.” Leviticus 10:17. Both ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to the sanctuary.
Such was the work that went on day by day throughout the year. The sins of Israel being thus transferred to the sanctuary, the holy places were defiled, and a special work became necessary for the removal of the sins. God commanded that an atonement be made for each of the sacred apartments, as for the altar, to “cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” Leviticus 16:19. Patriarchs and Prophets, 354:2 to 355:1.
12. How is the daily service m the tabernacle summarized?
The daily service consisted of the morning and evening burnt offering, the offering of sweet incense on the golden altar, and the special offerings for individual sins. And there were also offerings for Sabbaths, new moons, and special feasts. Patriarchs and Prophets, 352:2.
Beautiful Things to Remember:
Define or Identify:
Atonement
Breastplate
Incense
Lamb
White
Linen Robe
Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the sin was not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood, the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt in transgression, and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer to come; but he was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On the Day of Atonement the high priest, having taken an offering from the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon the mercy scat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for its claims. Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon himself and bore them from the sanctuary. Placing his hands upon the head of the scapegoat, he confessed over him all these sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the goat. The goat then bore them away, and they were regarded as forever separated from the people. The Great Controversy, 420:1.
A Special Day in Israel
Every man was to afflict his soul while the work of atonement was going forward. All business was laid aside, and the whole congregation of Israel spent the day in solemn humiliation before God, with prayer, fasting, and deep searching of heart. Patriarchs and Prophets, 355:4.
3. What was the special work to be done on that day? Leviticus 16:31-34; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:7, 25.
4. Who only could be in the sanctuary during the work of that day? Leviticus 16: 17.
The High Priest’s Purification for Himself
5. What warning was given to Aaron concerning going into the most holy place of the tabernacle? Leviticus 16:2.
6. With what offerings was he to present himself on this Day of Atonement? Leviticus 16:3, 4, 11, 17.
7. What is mid as to his personal cleanliness and his clothing for that day? Leviticus 16:4.
8. Describe how the high priest was to offer the bullock for his own purification, what he was to do with incense, and where he was to sprinkle the blood of the bullock. Leviticus 16:11-14.
The Cleansing of the Earthly Sanctuary
9. What was the high priest to receive from the congregation? Leviticus 16:5.
10. Why were lots cast upon these two goats? Leviticus 16:8.
The sin offering pointed to Christ as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin. The Great Controversy, 422:2.
11. What was done with the goat that represented Christ? Leviticus 16:9, 15.
12. What is “an atonement”? Romans 5:8-11.
The state of, or act of bringing into, concord; restoration of friendly relations; reconciliation.-Webster.
The law did not abate one jot of its justice, but through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, the repentant sinner stands justified before the law. Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, May 23, 1899.
13. Why was the shedding of blood necessary? Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:7, 22.
The cleansing, both in the typical and in the real service, must be accomplished with blood: in the former, with the blood of animals; In the latter, with the blood of Christ. Paul states, as the reason why this cleansing must be performed with blood, that without shedding of blood is no remission. The Great Controversy, 417:3.
14. It is to be noted that the high priest was to make atonement for the holy place, that is, the inner apartment; the tabernacle, that is, the first apartment; and for the altar. Leviticus 16:20.
Christians are to accept the truth of God instead of the counterfeit of paganism.
As Jesus moved out of the most holy place, [He] tarried a moment in the outer apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, and the sins which had been confessed while He was in the most holy place, were placed upon Satan, the originator of sins, who must suffer their punishment. Early Writings, 280:2.
Now the event takes place, foreshadowed in the last solemn service of the Day of Atonement. When the ministration in the holy of holies had been completed, and the sins of Israel had been removed from the sanctuary by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, then the scapegoat was presented alive before the Lord. And in presence of the congregation the high priest confessed over him “all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat.” Leviticus 16:21. In like manner, when the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary has been completed, then in the presence of God and heavenly angels, and the host of the redeemed, the sins of God’s people will be placed upon Satan. He will be declared guilty of all the evil which he has caused them to commit. And as the scapegoat was sent away into a land not inhabited, so Satan will be banished to the desolate earth, an uninhabited and dreary wilderness. The Great Controversy, 658:1.
Satan will not suffer the punishment of the righteous in the sense of his being the sin bearer, or of making propitiation for the sins of the righteous, or of making atonement for them. Jesus has made full and complete provision for the putting away of the sins of all who are willing to accept His sacrifice on Calvary’s cross. There is no need for any further atonement. The sins of all those who have come to Him in faith have been taken from them and have been borne in His own body. As He hung on the cross, as had been typified by the brazen serpent, lifted up by Moses in the wilderness, He was the embodiment of sin. The guilt of every son of Adam pressed upon Him. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. That is why the Father turned His face from His dying Son.
And Jesus will bear the sins of the world until the very close of time. He is “the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. In the final cleansing of the universe, sin will be destroyed. Those who have died, or who have come to the close of probation, with unconfessed sins, will be burned in the lake of fire, together with the originator of sin, to whom at that time will be charged all the sins he has caused the righteous to commit. Satan will be made to suffer the penalty of sin-eternal death.
16. With what care were those who had to do with the scapegoat to cleanse themselves?
Beautiful Things to Remember:
1. The colors used in the sanctuary had their meaning, too:
The blending of all Christian graces certainly would make the righteousness which Christ wants all of His people to have.
b. The blue, representing loyalty and obedience (Numbers 15:38-41), was used profusely in the sanctuary hangings.
c. The gold represented faith and love. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 4, 88:1.
d. The silver represented obedience. Prophets and Kings, 410:0
e. The red, or crimson, represented the blood of Jesus, the crimson stream which flows for man’s redemption. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 4, 120:1
f. The purple, combination of the blue and red, was the “royal color.”
2. The precious stones represented “good works.” Prophets and Kings, 410: 0.
3. The coverings of the tabernacle, too, had their meaning:
Texts to Remember:
Leviticus 16
2 Corinthians 5: 10
It is only through the merits of Jesus that our transgressions can he pardoned. Those who feel no need of the blood of Christ, who feel that without divine grace they can by their own works secure the approval of God, are making the same mistake as did Cain there is no other provision made whereby they can he released from the thralldom of sin. Patriarchs and Prophets, 73:0.
The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, “whither the Forerunner is for us entered.” Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God. The Great Controversy, 489:1.
The Temple, or Sanctuary, in Heaven
1. What does Paul in the Hebrews call the heavenly sanctuary?
2. What did John see in the heavens?
The High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary
3. Is there a high priest in the heavenly sanctuary? Hebrews 3: 1; 8:1, 2; 9: 11.
4. What else is He called? Hebrews 8:2, 3.
5. What kind of ministry has. He obtained, and how can this be? Hebrews 8:13.
6. Under His priesthood, what kind of covenant does God make with us? Hebrews 8:10; 10:16-21.
7. What name is given this covenant to distinguish it from the other one? Hebrews 8:13.
8. What is the secret of this covenant? Colossians 1:27.
9. After the order of whom is He a high priest? Hebrews 5:13-10.
10. What are some of the differences between the priesthood of Aaron and that of Melchizedek?
We have an Advocate that will plead for us in heaven if we will place our case with Him.
Jesus in the Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary
11. Where did Jesus go to officiate as priest when He left this earth?
The ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apartment of the sanctuary, “within the veil” [Hebrews 6:19] which formed the door and separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work of ministration upon which Christ entered at His ascension. It was the work of the priest in the daily ministration to present before God the blood of the sin offering, also the incense which ascended with the prayers of Israel. So did Christ plead His blood before the Father in behalf of sinners, and present before Him also, with the precious fragrance of His own righteousness, the prayers of penitent believers. Such was the work of ministration in the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven. The Great Controversy, 420:1
12. How long was He to officiate in that apartment?
13. How important was His work in the heavenly sanctuary? Hebrews 10: 9-14.
The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him, in faith may be presented before God. The Great Controversy, 489:1.
14. Was any time ever mentioned when the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary should be begun? Daniel 8:13,14.
Beautiful Things to Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Daniel 8:13, 14
Hebrews 8:2
Hebrews 8: 10
Hebrews 10: 16-21
Define or Identify:
True tabernacle
Intercession
“Within the veil”
Our Advocate
And He said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Daniel 8:14.
As Jesus died on Calvary, He cried, “It is finished” [John 19:30], and the veil of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom. This was to show that the services of the earthly sanctuary were forever finished, and that God would no more meet with the priests in their earthly temple, to accept their sacrifices. The blood of Jesus was then shed, which was to be offered by Himself in the heavenly sanctuary. As the priest entered the most holy once a year to cleanse the earthly sanctuary, so Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly, at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation, and thus to cleanse the sanctuary. Early Writings, 253: 1.
The Wonderful Numberer
1. While Daniel was watching the havoc the “little horn” power of Daniel 8 was to make among God’s people, what did one “saint ask the “Numberer of secrets,” or the “Wonderful Numberer” (margin), who is none other than Jesus, concerning “the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot? Daniel 8:13.
2. Who is the “Numberer of secrets,” or the “Wonderful Numberer”? Genesis 40:8; 41:15, 16; Deuteronomy 29:29; Daniel 2:19-23, 26-28.
3. What was the answer given by the “Wonderful Numberer”? Daniel 8:14.
“A Day for a Year”
4. In prophetic language what does a “day” represent? Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:13.
5. How long, then, would the 2300-day period be? The 2300-day period would be 2300 years.
The 2300 Years
6. When did these years begin?
In Daniel 8 is found no key to the beginning and ending of the 2300-year period, but in Daniel 9:24-27, when the prophet was studying the very thing this lesson discusses, Gabriel told him, “Seventy weeks of years are fixed for your people.” Daniel 9:24, Moffatt. This is the second time the Jews were given a 490-year period. From the anointing of Saul to the Babylonian captivity there were just 490 years-1095 to 606 BC. In this prophecy they were to have seventy sevens cut off” (the Companion Bible) for them. “Cut off” from what? The only period previously mentioned from which they could be “cut off” is the 2300-year period of Daniel 8:14. Therefore it must be these years were “cut off” from the 2300-year period. In other words, 490 of these 2300 years were to be given to the Jews, as a nation; the other 1810 would be given to them as individuals and to someone else. Finding the beginning of the 490-year period, we would undoubtedly have the beginning of the 2300-year period.
The 490 Years Cut Off for the Jewish People
7. Who came to Daniel while he was studying this question and praying about it? Daniel 9:20-23.
8. What were the six purposes for which these seventy weeks were given to the Jewish people? Daniel 9:24.
9. With what “commandment” did these seventy weeks, or 490 years, begin? Daniel 9:25, first part.
10. When did the decree or “commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” go forth? Ezra 7. Three decrees were issued concerning Jerusalem. They are:
This decree of Artaxerxes is the only one of the three that could be considered an answer to the “restore and build Jerusalem” idea. The other two simply commanded to build the temple and restore the Jewish system of worship. Therefore 457 BC is the date taken as the beginning of the 490year period.
The years of Artaxerxes’ reign are among the most easily established dates of history. The Canon of Ptolemy, with Its list of kings and astronomical observations, the Greek Olympiads, and allusions in Greek history to Persian affairs all combine to place the seventh year of Artaxerxes at 457 BC beyond successful controversy. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, Note by the editors, 208.
11. Into how many parts were these seventy weeks to be divided? Daniel 9:25, 26.
c. “One week” or 7 years AD 27 to 34. In the midst of this week Jesus was to be crucified.
Jesus was baptized in the fall of AD 27, being “about thirty years of age!” Luke 3:23. He was crucified at the time of the Passover in the spring Of AD 31. The gospel began to be preached to the Gentiles in AD 34. The following three things are given as the closing of the 490-year period and the expansion of the work of the gospel to the rest of the world:
End of the 2300-Year Period
12. When did the 2300-year period end?
Deducting the 490 years from the 2300 years, we find that 1810 years are left. Adding 1810 year. to AD 34, we come to AD 1844 This is the date set by the “Numberer of secrets” as the year in which the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary should begin.
13. What message was proclaimed to the world just previous to the ending of the 2300-year period in 1841? Revelation 10.
In all parts of the world men arose preaching a message pointing to that which was to begin in 1844. They were mistaken in the exact way in which God planned to work, but their message was one of warning, fulfilling the Feast of Trumpets always celebrated on the first day of the seventh month:
14. What is the message that really announces the cleansing of the sanctuary? Revelation 14:6, 7.
Beautiful Things To Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Deuteronomy 29:29
Daniel 9:24-27
Daniel 8:14
Revelation 10: 11
Define or Identify:
Cut off Decree
“It is finished!”
Day in prophecy
Gentile Messiah
Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come. Revelation l4:7.
At the time appointed for the judgment-the close of the 2300 days, in 1844 began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to he judged “out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” [Revelation 20:12]
We are now living in the great day of atonement The work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities ‘m another. Everyone must he tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the atonement. Momentous are the interests involved therein. The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years this work has been in Progress. Soon-none know how soon it will pass to the cases Of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review
When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. The Great Controversy, 486:1 to 490:2.
A Time of judgment
1. What does the Bible teach concerning a time of final judgment?
a. “The Lord comes to judge the earth.” 1 Chronicles 16:33; Psalms 96:13; 98:9.
b. “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Ecclesiastes 3:17.
C. “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14.
d. “He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained.” Acts 17:31.
c. Paul “reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.” Acts 24:25.
The Time Is Come
2. What message was sent to the world just as the judgment hour opened in heaven? Revelation 14:6, 7.
3. What took place in heaven at the time of the beginning of this judgment? Daniel 7:51, 10.
The Revised Version of the Bible says, “I beheld till thrones were placed, and One that was Ancient of Days did sit.”
Thus was presented to the prophet’s vision the great and solemn day when the characters and the lives of men should pass in review before the Judge of all the earth, and to every man should be rendered “according to his works!” [Matthew16:27]. The Ancient of Days is God the Father it is He, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment. And holy angels, as ministers and witnesses attend this great tribunal. The Great Controversy, 479:2.
4. Who was brought before the Ancient of Days? Daniel 7:13, 14.
The coming of Christ here described is not His Second Coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to Its benefits. The Great Controversy, 480:0.
5. What position does Jesus occupy in this judgment? 1 John 2: 1.
I saw four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to accomplish it. Jesus was clothed with priestly garments. He gazed in pity on the remnant, then raised His hand, and with a voice of deep pity cried, “My blood, Father, My blood, My blood, My blood!” Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from God, who sat upon the great white throne, and was shed all about Jesus. Then I saw an angel with a commission from Jesus, swiftly flying to the four angels who had a work to do on the earth, and waving something up and down in his hand, and crying with a loud voice, “Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.” Early Writings, 38:1.
His intercession is that of a pierced and broken body, of a spotless life. The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead for fallen man, whose redemption was purchased at such infinite cost. The Great Controversy, 416:1
The Books of the Judgment
6. What is the standard of the judgment, that by which all will be judged? James 1:25; 2:8-12.
In order to be prepared for the judgment, it is necessary that men should keep the law of God. That law will be the standard of character in the judgment. The apostle Paul declares, “As many as have sinned In the law shall be judged by the law, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” And he says that “the doers of the law shall be justified.” Romans 2:12-16. The Great Controversy, 436: 0.
7. What books will be opened in the judgment? Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12.
The book of life contains the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil deeds of the wicked. Early Writings, 52:2.
“A book of remembrance” is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of “them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.” Malachi 3:16. Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven in the book of God’s remembrance every deed of righteousness is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake, is recorded. Says the psalmist, “Thou tells my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?” Psalm 56:8.
There is a record also of the sins of men. The secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register; for God “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” 1 Corinthians 4:5. The Great Controversy, 481:1, 2.
As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, non repented of and non forgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses, “Whosoever bath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.” Exodus 32:33. The Great Controversy, 483:1.
8. What is done with the names of the righteous? Matthew 10:32, 33; Revelation 3:5.
All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Great Controversy, 483:2.
Sins Takes Out of the Heavenly Sanctuary
10. By whose blood are the sins of the redeemed taken out of the heavenly sanctuary? John 1:29; Hebrews 9:23-28; 1 John 1:7.
As anciently the sins of the people were by faith placed upon the sin offering, and through its blood transferred, in figure, to the earthly sanctuary; so in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ, and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. And as the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded. But before this can be accomplished, there must be an examination of the books of record to determine who, through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a work of investigation-a work of judgment. This work must be performed prior to the coming of Christ to redeem His people; for when He comes, His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his works. (Revelation 22:123. The Great Controversy, 421:1
11. What does Jesus say as He finishes the work of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary? Zephaniah 2:1-3; Revelation 22:11.
12. What is Jesus’ final act in cleansing the heavenly sanctuary?
It was seen, also, that while the sin offering pointed to Christ as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as a mediator, the scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, upon Whom the sins of the truly penitent will finally be placed. When the high priest, by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, removed the sins from the sanctuary, he placed them upon the scapegoat. When Christ, by virtue of His own blood, removes the sins of His people from the heavenly sanctuary at the close of His ministration, He will place them upon Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty. The scapegoat was sent away into a land not inhabited, never to come again into the congregation of Israel. So will Satan be forever banished from the presence of God and His people, and he will be blotted from existence in the final destruction of sin and sinners. The Great Controversy, 422:2.
Beautiful Things to Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Revelation 14:7
Revelation 22: 11
Acts 17:31
James 2:8-12
2 Corinthians 5:10
Define or Identify:
Chronicled
Mediator
Scapegoat
Justified
Probation
Scrutiny
Thy way, 0 God, is in the sanctuary. Psalm 77:13.
When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, the place was consecrated by His presence. Moses was commanded to put bounds around the mount and sanctify it, and the word of the Lord was beard in warning: “Take heed to yourselves, that you go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it. Whosoever touches the mount shall he surely put to death: there shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely he stoned, or shot through; whether it he beast or man, it shall not live.” Exodus 19:12,13. Thus was taught the lesson that wherever God manifests His presence, the place is holy. The precincts of God’s temple should have been regarded as sacred. The Desire of Ages, 156:1 (1940 ed., 155:4).
The Sanctuary Is Where God Dwells
The Earthly Tabernacle
The Daily Service of the Tabernacle
1. What were the two division’s of the earthly sanctuary service?
2. What do each of the following represent?
3. Name the most sacred article worn by the high priest.
4. Put yourself in the place of the priest and officiate a case through the sanctuary service.
The Day of Atonement
The Heavenly Sanctuary
Jesus Sets the Date
His Judgment Is Come
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
“Thy way, 0 God, is in the sanctuary!” Psalm 77:13.
“For thus said the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones!” Isaiah 57:15.
2. “The judgment was set, and the books were opened!” Daniel 7:10.
3. “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Daniel 8:14.
4. “He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained!” Acts 17:31.
5. “Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17.
When Israel camped at Sinai, God mode a covenant with the nation, but it disobeyed.
10. “If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well. So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:8-12.
11. “And He said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Revelation 10: 11.
12. “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:1
13. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11.
God, in the time of the judgment and in accordance with His uniform dealing with the human family in warning them of coming events vitally affecting their destiny (Amos 3:6,7), sends forth a proclamation of the approach of the Second Advent of Christ. This work is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; and their threefold message brings to view a work of reform to prepare a people to meet Him at His coming.
The time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, synchronizing with the period of the proclamation of the message of Revelation 14, is a time of investigative judgment, first with reference to the dead, and secondly, with reference to the living. This investigative judgment determines who of the millions sleeping in the dust of the earth are worthy of a part in the first resurrection, and who of its living multitudes are worthy of translation.
“Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:1
Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:1
In the Revelation are portrayed the deep things of God. The very name given to its inspired pages, “the Revelation,” contradicts the statement that this is a sealed book. A revelation is something revealed. The Lord Himself revealed to His servant the mysteries contained in this book, and He designs that they shall be open to the study of all. Its truths are addressed to those living in the last days of this earth’s history, as well as to those living in the days of John. Some of the scenes depicted in this prophecy are in the past, some are now taking place. Some bring to view the close of the great conflict between the powers of darkness and the Prince of heaven, and some reveal the triumphs and joys of the redeemed in the earth made new. The Acts of the Apostles, 584:1.
Introduction
1. What promise is made to those who read and hear the words of the book of Revelation? Revelation 1:1
2. Through what steps does the revelation come from God to man? Revelation 1: 1.
Of Gabriel the Savior speaks in the Revelation, saying that “He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.” Revelation 1:1. The Desire of Ages, 99:1.
c. Angel to His servant, the prophet.
d. Prophet to the people.
3. To whom is the Revelation of Jesus Christ addressed? Revelation 1:4,11.
The Seven Churches
4. What is understood by “the seven churches”?
“The seven churches” are easily understood to mean not merely the seven literal churches of Asia which went by the names mentioned, but seven periods of the Christian church, from the days of the apostles to the close of probation. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 344:4.
5. Note the various characteristics of Christ brought out in the introduction to each church as, “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things said He.” (See chart H.)
6. The periods covered by each church are approximate.
See The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, pages 361-405 for a detailed discussion of the messages to the seven churches.
The Laodicean Church
7. To what people does the message to the church of Laodicea apply?
I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. Testimonies, Volume 1, 186:1. (Read the entire message in Volume 1, pp. 185-195.)
8. What was the gold the Laodiceans were to buy?
Faith and love are the true riches, the pure gold which the True Witness counsels the 1ukewarm to buy. It makes the heart rich; for it has been purged until it is pure, and the more it is tested the more brilliant is its luster. Testimonies, Volume 4, 88:1, 2.
9. What is represented by the white raiment?
The white raiment is purity of character, the righteousness of Christ imparted to the sinner. This is indeed a garment of heavenly texture that can be bought only of Christ for a life of willing obedience. Testimonies, Volume 4, 88:2.
10. What is the salve for the eyes said to be?
The eye salve is that wisdom and grace which enables us to discern between the evil and the good, and to detect sin under any guise. God has given His church eyes which He requires them to anoint with wisdom, that they may see clearly; but many would put out the eyes of the church if they could; for they would not have their deeds come to the light, lest they should be reproved. The divine eye salve will impart clearness to the understanding, Christ is the depositary of all graces. He says: “Buy of Me.” Testimonies, Volume 4, 88:2.
God has given us His truth, which we are to hold against all enemies until Jesus comes.
Think About This:
Texts to Remember:
Revelation 1:3
Revelation 2
Revelation 3
Define or Identify:
Depositary discern
Laodicea
Revelation 5, 6
For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:17.
Revelation 5:1 to 8:1 and The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 407:1 to 451:31; 473:14
The seven seals represent events of a religious character, and contain the history of the church from the opening of the Christian Era to the Second Coming of Christ. When the scab were broken, and the record was brought to light, the scenes were presented before John, not by the reading of the description, but by a representation of what was described in the book being made to pass before his view in living characters, and in the place where the reality was to occur, namely, on the earth. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 425:2.
By what symbols could the work of Christianity better be represented when it went forth as an aggressive principle against the huge systems of error with which it had at first to contend? The rider upon this horse went forth-where? His commission was unlimited. The gospel was to all the world. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 425:3.
2. At the opening of the second seal what took place? Revelation 6:3, 4.
It the whiteness of the first horse denoted the purity of the gospel in the period which that symbol covers, the redness of the second horse would signify that in this period that original purity began to be corrupted. Errors began to arise. Worldliness came in. The ecclesiastical power sought the alliance of the secular. Troubles and commotion were the result. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 426:2.
3. The opening of the third seal presented what view? Revelation 6:5, 6.
How rapidly the work of corruption progresses! What a contrast in color between this symbol and the first one: A black horse-the very opposite of white! A period of great darkness and moral corruption in the church must be denoted by this symbol.
“The balances denoted that religion and civil power would be united in the person who would administer the executive power in the government, and that he would claim the judicial authority both in church and state. This was true among the Roman emperors from the days of Constantine until the reign of Justinian, when he gave the same judicial power to the bishop of Rome.”
“The measures of wheat and barley for a penny denote that the members of the church would be eagerly engaged after worldly goods, and the love of money would be the prevailing spirit of the times, for they would dispose of anything for money
The Oil and the Wine denote the graces of the Spirit, faith and love, and there was great danger of hurting these, under the influence of so much of a worldly spirit.” Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 428:3; 429:15.
The four horsemen represent four eras of the church in its warfare against Satan’s hosts.
4. The fourth seal. Revelation 6:7, 8
The color of this horse is remarkable. The original word denotes the “pale or yellowish color” that is seen in blighted or sickly plants. A strange state of things in the professed church must be denoted by this symbol. The rider on this horse is named Death, and Hell (Hades, “the grave”) followed with him. The mortality is so great during this period that it would seem as if “the pale nations of the dead” had come upon earth, and were following in the wake of this desolating power. The period during which this seal applies can hardly be mistaken. It must refer to the time in which the papacy bore its unrebuked, unrestrained, and persecuting rule, beginning about AD 538, and extending to the time when the Reformers began their work of exposing the corruption of the papal system. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 431:1
5. The fifth seal. Revelation 6: 9-11.
“We are not to suppose that this literally occurred, and that John actually saw the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar---for the whole representation is symbolical; nor are we to suppose that the injured and the wronged in heaven actually pray for vengeance on those who wronged them, or that the redeemed in heaven- will continue to pray with reference to things on earth.”
The White Robes. These were given as a partial answer to their cry, “How long, 0 Lord does Thou not judge and avenge our blood?” Revelation 6: 10. They had gone down to the grave in the most ignominious manner. Their lives had been misrepresented, their reputations tarnished, their names defamed, their motives maligned, and their graves covered with shame and reproach, as containing the dishonored dust of the most vile and despicable of characters.
But the Protestant Reformation began its work. It began to be seen that the church was corrupt and disreputable, and those against whom it vented its rage were the good, the pure, and the true. Then it was seen that they had suffered, not for being vile and criminal, but “for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held!” Revelation 6:9. White robes were thus given to every one of them. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 434:3; 436:1, 2.
6. The sixth seal. Revelation 6:12-17.
Between the fifth and sixth seals there seems to be a sudden and complete change from highly figurative to strictly literal language. Whatever may be the cause, the change cannot well be denied. By no principle of interpretation can the language of the preceding seals be made to be literal, nor can the language of this any more easily be made figurative. We must therefore accept the change, even though we may be unable to explain it. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 437:1
Daniel and the Revelation, 439 to 448.)
e. “The Heaven Departed as a Scroll.”
The departing of the heavens is included in what the writers of the Gospels call, in the same series of events, the shaking of the powers of the heavens. Other scriptures give us further particulars concerning this prediction. From Hebrews 12:25-27; Joel 3:16; Jeremiah 25:30-33; Revelation 16:17, we learn that it is the voice of God, as He speaks in terrible majesty from His throne in heaven, that causes this fearful commotion in earth and sky. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 449:2.
7. The seventh seal. Revelation 8:1.
Silence in Heaven. When the Lord appears, He comes with all the holy angels with Him. (Matthew 25:31.) When all the heavenly harp players leave the courts above to come to this earth with their divine Lord as He descends to gather the fruit of His redeeming work, will there not be silence in heaven? The length of this period of silence, if we consider it prophetic time, would be about seven days. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 473:1.
Think About This:
I saw that Jesus would not leave the most holy place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could not come until Jesus had finished His work in the most holy place, laid off His priestly attire, and clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance. Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silence no longer, but pour out His wrath on those who have rejected His truth. I saw that the anger of the nations, the wrath of God, and the time to judge the dead, were separate and distinct, one following the other, also that Michael had not stood up, and that the time of trouble, such as never was, had not yet commenced. The nations are now getting angry, but when our High Priest has finished His work in the sanctuary, He will stand up, put on the garments of vengeance, and then the seven last plagues will be poured out.
I saw that the four angels would hold the four winds until Jesus’ work was done in the sanctuary, and then will come the seven last plagues. Early Writings, 36:1, 2.
Texts to Remember:
Revelation 6:12, 13
Revelation 6:17
Define or Identify:
Aggressive
Edict of Milan Hades
Ecclesiastical Era
Maligned
Revelation 8:2 to 11: 19 and Daniel and Revelation, 474:1 – 547:2.
In the study of the seven seals, the history of the church during the Christian Era was covered, as recorded in Revelation 5: 1 to 8:1. Beginning with Revelation 8:2, a new series of events is introduced, referred to as the “seven trumpets.” They deal with the Political events in the time known as the Christian Era, but beginning with the fourth century. The first four trumpets have to do with special events which brought about the fall of Western Rome. The last three are called “woe trumpets,” and they fall upon the Eastern Empire.
The Collapse of Rome
Revelation 8:7.
“Hall and fire mingled with blood” (Revelation 8:7) were cast upon the earth. The terrible effects of this Gothic invasion are represented as “hall,” from the northern origin of the invaders; “fire,” from the destruction by flame of both city and country; and “blood,” from the terrible slaughter of the citizens of the empire by the bold and intrepid warriors.
The First Trumpet. The blast of the first trumpet has its location about the close of the fourth century and onward, and refers to these desolating invasions of the Roman Empire under the Goths. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 476:3, 4.
3. When the second angel sounded, what is represented as being “cast into the sea,” and what was the result? Revelation 8:8, 9.
The Roman Empire, after Constantine the Great, was divided into three parts. Hence the frequent remark, “a third part of men,” is an allusion to the third part of the empire which was under the scourge. This division of the Roman kingdom was made at the death of Constantine, among his three sons, Constantius, Constantine II, and Constans. Constantius possessed the East, and fixed his residence at Constantinople, the metropolis of the empire.
The sounding of the second trumpet evidently relates to the invasion and conquest of Africa, and afterward of Italy, by Gaiseric (Genseric), king of the Vandals. His conquests were for the most part naval, and his triumphs were “as it were a great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea.” Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 478:5 to 479:1. (For further comments see Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 478 to 481)
The members of the church are called to give the lost message before the sunset hour.
4. What was to take place under the third trumpet? Revelation 8:10, 11.
Here we have foretold the invasions and conquests of Attila the Hun. He called himself the “scourge of God” and boasted that grass never grew on the ground where his horse had trod. His conquests were along the Rhine, in Gaul, and in northern Italy, where the rivers flow down to the south and southeast. (See Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 483 to 485.)
This trumpet brings us to the end of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, when the leader of the Herulian barbarians, Odoacer, deposed the last puppet emperor of the West, and himself took the scepter of Rome. Its luminaries, or civil rulers, were smitten, and ceased to shine. Italy now became nominally a province of the empire of the East, but actually a Germanic kingdom under Odoacer. The Roman Empire in the West had come to an end. Bible Readings for the Home, 288:7. (For further reading see Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 485 to 491.)
The Moslem World in Prophecy
6. What did John see when the fifth angel sounded? Revelation 9:1-3.
Most Bible expositors are agreed that Mohammed is symbolized by the star of this trumpet.
The bottomless pit doubtless refers to the wastes of the Arabian desert, from which came forth the Arabs (Saracens) like swarms of locusts under the new battle cry of Islam. The darkening caused by the smoke fitly represents the spread of Islam and its doctrines over Asia, Africa, and portions of Europe. Their power as scorpions is strikingly seen in their vigorous and speedy attacks upon and overthrow of their enemies. Over a large part of Spain, over North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Babylonia, Persia, North India, and parts of Central Asia the Arabian conquerors superimposed their religion and to a large extent their language and manners upon the native customs, speech, and worship of each of these areas. Bible Readings for the Home, 289:4. (See Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 491)
7. For an explanation of Revelation 9.4-11 see Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 498 to 505.
It was on July 27,1299, says Gibbon, “that Othman first invaded the territory of Nicomedia,” in Asia Minor, “and the singular accuracy of the date,” he adds, “seems to disclose some foresight of the rapid and destructive growth of the monster.” Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chapter 64, paragraph 14. This, then, we take to be the beginning of the period referred to.
A prophetic month consists of thirty days; five months would be 150 days. [See page 219 of Bible Readings for the Home.] Allowing a day for a year, 150 years from July 27, 1299, would reach to 1449. During this period the Turks were engaged in almost constant warfare with the Greek Empire, but yet without conquering it. Bible Readings for the Home, 290:6, 7.
8. When the sixth angel sounded, what command was given by a voice from the four horns of the golden altar? Revelation 9: 13, 14.
The first woe was to continue from the rise of Mohammedism until the end of the five months. Then the first woe was to end, and the second begin. And when the sixth angel sounded, it was commanded to take off the restraints that had been imposed on the nation, by which they were restricted to the work of tormenting men, and their commission extended to slay the third part of men. This command came from the four horns of the golden altar. Josiah Litch, Prophetic Expositions, Volume 2, 182:1.
The Four Angels. These are the four principal sultans of which the Ottoman Empire was composed, located in the country watered by the Euphrates. These sultans were situated at Aleppo, Iconium, Damascus, and Baghdad. Previously they had been restrained; but God commanded, and they were loosed. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 506:1.
9. What definite time period is mentioned under this trumpet? Revelation 9:15.
Since a day in prophetic time [see page 219 of Bible Readings for the Home] stands for a year, an hour is equal to fifteen days, a month to thirty years, a year to 360 years. Added together these amount to 391 years and fifteen days, the time allotted for the Ottoman supremacy. Commencing July 27, 1449, the date of the close of the filth trumpet, this period would end August 11, 1840. In exact fulfillment of the words of inspiration, this date marks the time when the vassalage of the Ottoman Empire began. His empire wasted beyond hope of recovery in a war with Mehemet All, pasha of Egypt, the sultan of Turkey submitted to the dictates of the then four great powers of Europe, and his minister, Rifat Bey, on that very day, August 11, 1840, reached Alexandria, bearing the sultan’s ultimatum, dictated by the powers, to place in the hands of the rebellious pasha. On that day also, the allied fleets appeared before Beirut, prepared to enforce the ultimatum. Bible Readings for the Home, 291:10. (For further comments on verses 12 to 21, see Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 505-517.)
For the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we turn to Revelation 11: 15. Chapter 10 and a large part of chapter 11 come in parenthetically between the sixth and seventh trumpet.
10. At what time is the mystery of God to be finished? Revelation 10:7.
11. What is the mystery of God? Galatians 1:11; Ephesians 3:3-6; 1 Timothy 3:16. The mystery of God is the gospel, God manifest in the flesh as the Savior from sin.
12. What takes place under the sounding of the seventh trumpet? Revelation 11: 15-19.
The second woe ended with the sixth trumpet, August 11, 1840, and the third woe occurs under the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which began in 1844.
Then where are we? “Behold!” that is to say, mark it well, “the third woe comes quickly.” Revelation 11:14. The fearful scenes of the second woe are past, and we are now under the sounding of the trumpet that brings the third and last woe. Shall we now look for peace and safety, a temporal millennium, a thousand years of righteousness and prosperity on earth? Rather let us earnestly pray the Lord to awaken a slumbering world. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 542:4 to 543:1. (For a fuller explanation of verses 15 to 19 see The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 543 to 547, and Bible Readings for the Home, 292, 291)
Think About This:
John’s first vision, the seven churches, shows God’s plan for His true church. It was given for the special purpose of encouraging the church of God to be faithful to the end through all the experiences it would have to meet. In every one of its seven divisions, God holds out the promise “to him that overcomes.” His second vision, the seven seals, shows the efforts of the apostate church, “the synagogue of Satan,” to destroy the true church and defeat God’s plan. At the end of this vision the wicked are seen calling for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and destroy them. The third vision is the seven trumpets. This prophecy, like the first two, extends over the Christian Era. A trumpet is a symbol of war. The seven trumpets show how Satan, through war among the nations of earth, attempts to cripple God’s work and defeat His plan. But God’s unseen hand rules even among the nations, bringing victory to His plan when to human eyes defeat seems certain. Sarah E. Peck, God’s Great Plan, 409:1.
Texts to Remember: Revelation 8; 9
Define or Identify:
Attila
Pasha
Constantine the Great
Saracens
Genseric
“The scourge of God”
Goths
Ultimatum
Intrepid
Vandals
Odoacer
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.
“A woman,” signifies the true church. (2 Corinthians M2.) A corrupt woman is used to represent an apostate or corrupt church. (Ezekiel 23:24; Revelation 173-6, 15, 18.) By parity of reasoning, a pure woman, as in this instance, would represent the true church. “The sun” here signifies the light and glory of the gospel era. The “moon” is the symbol of the mosaic period. As the moon shines with a borrowed light derived from the sun, so the former era shone with a light borrowed from the present. There they had the type and shadow; here we have the antitype and the substance. “A crown of twelve stars” appropriately symbolizes the twelve apostles. “A great red dragon,” represents [Satan in first place, then those through whom he worked] pagan Rome. [See comments under verses 4 and 5 in The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation.] the heavens is the space in which this representation was seen by the apostle. We are not to suppose that the scenes here presented to John took place in heaven where God resides, for they are events which occurred upon this earth. This vision which passed before the eye of the prophet, appeared as if in the region occupied by the sun, moon, and stare, which we speak of as heaven. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 549:3.
1. What is represented by “a woman”?
It is evident that God uses the figure of a woman, a pure woman, to represent His people, the church, and also a woman, corrupt and blasphemous, to represent the false or corrupt church.
2. “The sun,” “the moon”, twelve stars.” Revelation 12:1.
No symbols more fitting and impressive could be found than are here employed. The Mosaic period shone with a light borrowed from the Christian Era, even as the moon shines with light borrowed from the sun. How appropriate, therefore, to represent the former by the moon, and the latter by the sun. The woman, the church, had the moon under her feet; that is, the Mosaic period had just ended, and the woman was clothed with the light of the gospel sun, which had just risen. By anticipation the church is represented as fully organized, with its twelve apostles, before the Man-child, Christ, appeared upon the scene. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 550:1.
When it seems that evil will destroy God’s people, He will intervene and save.
3. “Third part of the stars of heaven.” Revelation 12:4.
Satan in his rebellion took a third part of the angels. They turned from the Father and from His Son, and united with the instigator of rebellion. Testimonies, Volume 3, 115:0.
This allusion to the stars undoubtedly is related to the truths emphasized in verses 7-9 of this chapter. It is evident that a third part of the angelic host, who joined with Satan in his rebellion against the Ruler of the universe, were cast out of the courts of glory. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 551:1.
4. “A Man-child.” Revelation 12:2, 5.
The testimony concerning the “Man. child,” which the dragon seeks to destroy, is applicable to only one being that has appeared in this world, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. No other one has been caught up to God and His throne, but He has been thus exalted. (Ephesians 1:20, 21; Hebrews 8:1; Revelation 3:21) No other one has received from God the commission to rule all nations with a rod of iron, but He has been appointed to this work. (Psalm 2:7-9.) Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 551:2.
5. “The dragon.” Revelation 12: 3,7,9-17.
The line of prophecy in which these symbols are found, begins with Revelation 12, with the dragon that sought to destroy Christ at His birth. The dragon is said to be Satan; he it was that moved upon Herod to put the Savior to death. But the chief agent of Satan in making war upon Christ and His people during the first centuries of the Christian Era, was the Roman Empire, in which paganism was the prevailing religion. Thus while the dragon, primarily, represents Satan, it is, in a secondary sense, a symbol of pagan Rome-The Great Controversy, 438:2.
6. “A thousand two hundred and threescore days.” Revelation 12:13, 14.
The principle given us in the Bible is, that when a day is used in symbolic prophecy, it stands for a year. (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34.) Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 144:1.
The church fled into the wilderness at the time the papacy was firmly established in 538, where it was nourished by the word of God and the ministration of angels during the long, dark, and bloody rule of that power for 1260 years. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 553:1
7. Why was this spoken: “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea!” Revelation 12:12.
8. Explain “the earth helped the woman.”
“The earth helped the woman” (Revelation 12:16) by opening its mouth and swallowing up the flood. The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century began its work. God raised up Martin Luther and his co laborers to expose the true character of the papacy, and break the power with which superstition had enslaved the minds of the people. Luther nailed his theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg; and the pen with which he wrote them, according to the symbolic dream of the good elector Frederick of Saxony, did indeed span the Continent, and shake the triple crown on the pope’s head.
Soon there was enough Protestant soil found in Europe and the New World to swallow up the flood of papal fury, and rob it of its power to harm the church. Thus the earth helped the woman, and has continued to help her to the present day, as the spirit of the Reformation and religious liberty has been fostered by the leading nations of Christendom. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 558:4 to 559:1.
9. Why was the dragon [Satan] “wroth with the woman”? Revelation 12:17.
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17. In the near future we shall see these words fulfilled as the Protestant churches unite with the world and with the papal power against commandment keepers. The same spirit which actuated papists in ages past will lead Protestants to pursue a similar course toward those who will maintain their loyalty to God. Testimonies, Volume 5, 449:2.
Think of This:
Texts to Remember:
Jeremiah 6:2
Revelation 12:17
Define or Identify.
Apostate
Parity
Sanhedrin
Theses
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Revelation 13:2.
In chapter 13 [verses 1-10] is described another beast, “like unto a leopard,” to which the dragon gave “his
power, and his seat, and great authority.” This symbol, as most Protestants have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once held by the ancient Roman Empire This prophecy, which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy. The Great Controversy, 439:1.
1. What is there in the description of “the beast” that indicates it is a religious power?
2. When did “the beast” appear? Revelation 13:2.
It appeared following the dragon power of chapter 12. If it is correct to identify the dragon with the Roman Empire in the days of Christ, then a power is to be identified following the Roman Empire, which is closely related to it. The prophecy declares that “the dragon [Roman Empire] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Revelation 13:2.
3. In the light of the ecclesiastical nature of “the beast” what power would qualify as the recipient of the triple gift from the dragon?
In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the papacy. The dragon had given to the beast “his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Revelation 13:2. The Great
Controversy, 54:2.
Catholics say the tiara of the pope of Rome is a symbol of his power and authority.
Roman Empire
Power-world-wide
Seat-city of Rome Great authority
Papacy
Power-world-wide
Seat-city of Rome Great authority
4. Similarity between the little horn of Daniel 7 and the beast of Revelation 13. Little Horn of Daniel 7
The Beast of Revelation 13:1-10
When we have in prophecy two symbols, as in this instance, representing powers that come upon the stage of action at the same time, occupy the same territory, maintain the same character, do the same work, exist the same length of time, and meet the same fate, those symbols represent the same identical power. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 565:7.
5. “Wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:1
It [the deadly wound] was inflicted when the pope was taken prisoner by Berthier, the French general, and the papal government was for a time abolished, in 1798. Stripped of this power, both civil and ecclesiastical, the captive pope, Pius VI, died in exile at Valence in France, August 29, 1799. But the deadly wound began to be healed when the papacy was re-established, though with less of its former power, by the election of a new pope, March 14, 1800. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 567:1.
The dogma of the infallibility of the pope was declared in 1870, and in 1929 the pope became again a temporal monarch, possessing Vatican City.
6. The concluding mark of identification of “the beast.” Revelation 13:18.
The number of the beast, says the prophecy, “Is the number of a man.” If it is to be derived from a. name or title, the natural conclusion would be that it must be the name or title of some particular or representative man. The most plausible expression we have seen suggested as containing the number of the beast, is one of the titles applied to the pope of Rome. That title is this: Vicarius Filii Dei, “Vicegerent of the Son of God.” It is worthy of note that the Douay Version of the Bible has the following comment on Revelation 13:18: “The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number.” Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 619:2.
7. The letters in the title which are Roman numerals add up to “his number.” in the following manner (Revelation 13:18):
V | 5 | F | 0 | D | 500 |
I | 1 | I | 1 | E | 0 |
C | 100 | L | 50 | I | 1 |
A | 0 | I | 1 |
|
|
R | 0 | I | 1 |
|
|
I | 1 |
|
|
|
|
U | 5 |
|
|
|
|
S 0
112 53 501
666
Think of This:
Leopard Beast a Persecuting Power-The powers introduced in this prophecy-the dragon, the leopard beast, and the two-horned beast of verses 11-17-are all persecuting powers. They are actuated by rage and enmity against the people and church of God. This fact is of itself sufficiently conclusive evidence that in each of these powers the ecclesiastical or religious element is the controlling power. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 563:1.
4. The dragon and the beast:
Texts to Remember:
Revelation 13:2
Revelation 13:18
Define or Identify:
Berthier
Vicarius Filii Dei
Blasphemy
Vicegerent
Douay Version
Time, times, and the dividing of time
And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16, 17.
The special characteristic of the beast, and therefore of his image, is the breaking of God’s commandments. Says Daniel, of the little horn, the papacy, “He shall think to change the times and the law.” Daniel 7:25, RV. And Paul styled the same power the “man of sin” [2 Thessalonians 2:3], who was to exalt himself above God. One prophecy is a complement of the other. Only by changing God’s law could the papacy exalts itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would he a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God. The Great Controversy, 446: 1.
John was called to behold a people distinct from those who worship the beast or his image by keeping the first day of the week. The observance of this day is the mark of the beast. Testimonies to Ministers, 133:1.
The papacy has attempted to change the law of God.
The Sign of God’s Authority
The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they honor His law. It distinguishes between His loyal subjects and transgressors.
The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifying One. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience He [the Sabbath keeper] is sanctified through obedience.
The Sabbath is a golden clasp that unites God and His people. Testimonies, Volume 6, 349:3 to 351:4.
Antichrist-Sign of His Authority
2. What power on this earth demands worship? Does this power claim to be God on earth? 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4; Revelation 13:4, 8.
The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God. So that if it were possible that the angels might err in the faith, or might think contrary to the faith, they could be judged and excommunicated by the Pope. Facts from Ferraris’s Ecclesiastical Dictionary, article, “Pope.” (Source Book for Bible Students, 409:4 and 410:73
For thou art the shepherd, thou art the physician, thou art the director, thou art the husbandman; finally, thou art another God on earth. Oration of Christopher Marcellus in the fourth session of the Fifth Lateran Council, 1512, quoted by Labbe and Cossart in History of the Councils, Volume 14, Column 109. (Quoted in English in Source Book for Bible Students, 411:23
The Sign of Papal Authority
3. What does the Catholic Church hold up as a sign of her authority?
By what authority did the church change the observance of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?
The church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of the divine, Infallible authority given to her by her Founder, Jesus Christ. The Protestant, claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is the only consistent Protestant. The Catholic Universe Bulletin, Aug. 14, 1942, p. 4.
It was the Catholic Church that authorized and sanctioned the change in the Lord’s Day from the seventh day of the week to the first. She did it very early in her life-as by the end of the third and beginning of the fourth century, the custom and practice were universal. No other church existed at the time. Letter of C. F. Thomas, Chancellor to James Cardinal Gibbons, October 8, 1901. (Photostat No. 50, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.)
The true Sabbath being a sign of loyalty to the true God, it is but natural that the false Sabbath should be regarded as a sign of allegiance to the apostate church. Such we find to be the case. Bible Readings for the Home, 444:4.
4. What will the two-horned beast demand of all before the end? Revelation 13:15-17.
The beast with two horns “causes [commands] all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads!’ Revelation 13:16. The Great Controversy, 445:2.
Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that all, “both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond” (Revelation 13:16), shall conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false Sabbath. All who refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of death. The Great Controversy, 604:2.
It has been shown that the United States is the power represented by the beast with lamb like horns, and that this prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to papacy the United States will not be alone. The Great Controversy, 579:0.
Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is worshiping the beast and his Image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy they thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome, “the mark of the beast.” [Revelation 16:2] And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgress” will receive “the mark of the beast.” The Great Controversy, 449:1.
6. Will there be those who get the victory over this power? Revelation 15:24.
7. What will be the fate of those who worship the beast? Revelation 14:9-11.
8. Who will be cast into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone? Revelation 19: 20.
Think of This:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 31:17
Revelation 13:15-17
Revelation 15:24
Define or Identify:
Apostate
Excommunicate
Infallible Brimstone Homage Vicar
Complement
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. Revelation 13: 11.
But the beast with lamb like horns was seen “coming up out of the earth.” [Revelation 13:11.] Instead of overthrowing other powers to establish itself, the nation thus represented must arise in territory previously unoccupied, and grow up gradually and peacefully. It could not, then, arise among the crowded and struggling nationalities of the Old World. It must be sought in the Western Continent.
What nation of the New World was in 1798 rising into power, giving promise of strength and greatness, and attracting the attention of the world? The application of the symbol admits of no question. One nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America. The Great Controversy, 440:1,2.
The First Beast Wounded
The head that was wounded to death was the papal head. it was inflicted when the pope was taken prisoner by Berthier, the French general, and the papal government was for a time abolished, in 1798. Stripped of his power, both civil and ecclesiastical, the captive pope, Pius VI, died in exile at Valence in France, August 29, 1799. But the deadly wound began to be healed when the papacy was re-established, though with less of its former power, by the election of a new pope, March 14, 1800. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 567:1.
The Second Beast
2. About the time of the wounding of the papal head, what other power does John see coming up out of the earth? Revelation 13:11.
He is not yet come, though he cannot be far off. For he is to appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast. John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament, 17th ed., 427, comment on Revelation 13:11.
Can anyone doubt what nation was actually “coming up” in 1798? Certainly it must be admitted that the United States of America is the only power that meets the specifications of the prophecy on this point of chronology. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 573:4. (See Introductory quotations for additional statements on this question.)
3. Explain the meaning of the expression, “coming up out of the earth.” Revelation 13:11.
This expression must have been designedly used to point out the contrast between the rise of this beast and that of other national prophetic symbols. The tour beasts of Daniel 7 and the leopard beast of Revelation 13 all arose out of the sea. New nations generally rise by overthrowing other nations, and taking their place. But no other nation was overturned in order to make room for the United States, and the attainment of its independence was already fifteen years in the past when it came into the field of prophecy. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 577:2.
4. What does John say about the horns of this beast? What kind of a nation is symbolized by this two horned beast? Revelation 13:11.
The two-horned beast, with a noticeable absence of crowns upon its horns, symbolizes a nation with a republican form of government. A crown is an appropriate symbol of a kingly or dictatorial form of government, and the absence of crowns, as in this case, would suggest a government in which the power is not vested in any such ruling member, but is lodged in the hands of the people.
The two-horned beast symbolizes a nation which cannot be Catholic in religion. The papacy is a religion that is fundamentally a union of church and state. The Constitution of the United States of America (Article VI) declares that “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust,” and thereby establishes a perpetual separation of church and state. Civil and religious liberty is a fundamental principle of Protestantism. From the religious standpoint, therefore, the United States is a Protestant nation, and meets the requirement of the prophecy admirably in this respect. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 581:1,3.
The lamb like qualities of the two-horned beast will disappear in hate and bloodshed.
A Persecuting Power
5. Notwithstanding the lamb like appearance of this power, how will it ultimately speak? Revelation 13:11. Now that we have identified the United States of America as the power symbolized by the two-horned beast, we can follow through without fear or prejudice the course that that nation takes as marked out clearly in the prophecy itself. In doing so, let us observe once more that the dragon as the first of the three beasts in the chain of prophecy under consideration, was a relentless persecutor of the church of God. The leopard beast that followed was likewise a persecuting power, destroying the lives of millions of Christians during a period of 1260 years. As we come to the third beast, with two horns like a lamb, it is declared that he “spoke as a dragon!” This can only mean that at some time his nature changes from that of a lamb to that of a dragon, that he speaks as a dragon, and that he does the same kind of work as the dragon before him. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 582:12.
by the two-horned beast, and is an image to the first beast. It is also called an Image of the beast. Then to learn what the image is like, and how it is to be formed, we must study the characteristics of the beast itself-the papacy. In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends. The Great Controversy, 443:2,3. (For further reading, see The Great Controversy, 443-4503
11. What will this power bring down from heaven? Revelation 13:13.
12. What will be the crowning act in the drama of deception?
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15, The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air, “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, While he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody He heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. The Great Controversy, 624:2.
13. What is Satan not permitted to counterfeit?
Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The Great Controversy, 625:2.
14. Who only will not be deceived? Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:10,11.
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures, and who have received the love of the truth,
will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. The Great Controversy, 625:3.
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false Christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God’s unmingled wrath shall be poured out. The Great Controversy, 625: 1.
15. What two texts should keep us from falling into the deceptions that take the world captive? Isaiah 8:20; John 14:29.
Think of This:
The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. The Great Controversy, 607:1.
3. She [Rome] is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectingly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. The Great Controversy, 581:2.
Text to Remember:
Revelation 13:11-17
Define or Identify:
Chronology
Dragon
Perpetual
Two Horned Beast
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and, give glory to Him. For the hour of His judgment is come. And worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Revelation 14:13, 7.
John in the Revelation foretells the proclamation of the gospel message just before Christ’s Second Coming. He beholds an angel flying “in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him. For the hour of His judgment is come.” Revelation 14:6, 7.
In the prophecy this warning of the judgment, with its connected messages, is followed by the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. The proclamation of the judgment is an announcement of Christ’s Second Coming as at hand. And this proclamation is called the everlasting gospel. Thus the preaching of Christ’s Second Coming, the announcement of its nearness, is shown to be an essential part of the gospel message. Christ’s Object Lessons, 227:1,2.
The Message
The message described in these two verses [Revelation 14:6,7] is the first of what are known as “the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14.” We are justified by the prophecy itself in designating them the first, second, and third. In the verses that follow, the last one is distinctly called “the third angel” [Revelation 14:9], from which we infer that the one preceding was the second angel; and the one before that, the first angel. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 628:4.
2. Whom did John see flying in the midst of heaven? Revelation 14:6.
3. What did the angel have to give to those on the earth? Revelation 14:6.
These angels are evidently symbolic, for the work assigned them is that of preaching the everlasting gospel to the people. But the preaching of the, gospel has not been entrusted to literal angels; It has been committed to men, who are responsible for this sacred trust placed in their hands. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 629: 1.
4. What is the gospel? Romans 1:16.
5. What solemn declaration does the angel make? Revelation 14:7.
6. In view of the judgment hour, what are all men called upon to do? Revelation 14:7, first part. The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s judgment, and calling upon men
to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world, and to arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message, God had sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accounted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him. The Great Controversy, 379:1.
7. “Worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:7, last part.
The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and must never be forgotten. J. N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath, chapter 27.
It was to keep this truth ever before the minds of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden. And so long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial. It follows that the message which commands men to worship God and keep His commandments, will especially call upon them to keep the fourth commandment. The Great Controversy, 438:0.
God calls upon the church to give His message a world that faces the judgment.
Extent of the Message
8. “To every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Revelation 14:6.
The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God. The first angel’s message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century. But these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel. The Great Controversy, 611:1.
9. Heralds of the first angel’s message outside the U.S.A.:
10. Heralds of the first angel’s message inside the U.S.A.:
Think of This:
Faithful men, who were obedient to the prompting of God’s Spirit and the teachings of His word, were to proclaim this warning to the world. The Great Controversy, 312:1,2.
5. By the purity, the glory, and the power of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased to represent the exalted character of the work to be accomplished by the message, and the power and glory that were to attend it. And the angel’s flight 1n the midst of heaven,” the “loud voice” with which the warning is uttered, and its promulgation to all “that dwell on the earth,” “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6,7)-give evidence of the rapidity and world-wide extent of the movement. The Great Controversy, 355:1
Text to Remember:
Revelation 14:6, 7
Define or Identify:
“Everlasting gospel”
Kindred Nation People Tongue
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8.
The term “Babylon” is derived from “Babel,” and signifies confusion it is employed in Scripture to designate the various forms of false or apostate religion. In Revelation 17, Babylon is represented as a woman-a figure which is used in the Bible as the symbol of a church, a virtuous woman representing a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church. The Great Controversy, 381:1.
Babylon is not confined to the Roman Catholic Church. That this church is a very prominent component part of great Babylon, is not denied. The descriptions in Revelation 17 seem to apply particularly to that church. But the name which she bears on her forehead, “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” [Revelation 17:51, reveals other family connections. If this church is the mother, who are the daughters? The fact that these daughters are spoken of shows that there are other religious bodies besides the Roman Catholic Church which come under this designation. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 644:1.
The term Babylon signifies the universal worldly and apostate church.
2. How was the fall of ancient Babylon prophetically described? Jeremiah 51:8.
3. Note carefully the reasons given for ancient and modern Babylon’s fall. Compare Jeremiah 51:7 and Revelation 14:8.
The parallels between the Roman Church and ancient Babylon are striking, as we view the pagan Babylonian state religion with its wealthy and politically powerful hierarchy, its elaborate temple ritual, its priestly monopoly of learning. Its liturgy performed in an ancient language unknown to the common people, its processions of divine Images, its great spring festival in which mourning is followed by rejoicing, its ubiquitous virgin mother goddess who intercedes for her worshipers. But there is even more than a parallel; there is a genuine line of inheritance, from Babylon through the Roman Empire to the Ro. man Church, of many religious elements. Bible Readings for the Home, 250:6.
The Roman Empire was heir not only to the territories but also to the religions of Greece and the East. Later Roman paganism was orientalized through the adoption of Eastern deities, all influenced by astrology and many of them transformed into sun gods, such as, for example, Mithra, who combined Persian and Chaldean elements. (See Franz Cumont, Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans, 1912 ed., pp. 89-9j.) Bible Readings for the Home, 250:8.
4. Note the following similarities between ancient and modern Babylon: Ancient Babylon
h. “Howl for her; take balm for her pain.” Jeremiah 51:8. Modern Babylon
c. Nations drank of her wine. Revelation 14:8.
The specific call to come out of Babylon because of its spiritual fall was made in the summer of 1844 between the 1843 and 1844 disappointments.
Everywhere throughout the land the cry was raised, “Babylon is fallen,” and, in anticipation of the movement brought to view in Revelation 18: 1-4, those proclaiming the message add, “Come out of her, My people.” Thousands severed their connection with the various denominations as the result. Not only did the churches suffer a distinct loss of spirituality in 1844, but the decline since then has been marked and continuous.
The acceptance by Protestantism of the first angel’s message would have enabled the church to become a light to “all nations?” But betraying her trust by her rejection of the message, she left the nations without the witness of present truth that they might have had, to grope in the darkness of error and superstition resulting from the intoxicating and stupefying influences of the system of false doctrines she had built up and refused to relinquish. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 654:2; 656:3; 661:1. (For further reading Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 643-662.)
6. What is to be the final fate of modern Babylon? Revelation 18: 21-24.
7. Is there yet to be a final call to come out of Babylon? Revelation 18:4, 5.
Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6-12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message in the last that will ever be given to the world; and it will accomplish Its work. The Great Controversy, 390:2.
8. What will those sing who come out of Babylon? Revelation 19:6, 7.
Think of This:
6. Of all the great religious movements since the days of the apostles, none have been more free from human Imperfection and the wiles of Satan than was that of the autumn of 1844. Even now, after the lapse of many years, all who shared in that movement and who have stood firm upon the platform of truth, still feel the holy influence of that blessed work, and bear witness that it was of God. The Great Controversy, 401:3.
Texts to Remember:
Jeremiah 51:6-8
Revelation 14:8
Revelation 18:14
Define or Identify:
Astrology
Hierarchy
Mithra
Ritual
Ubiquitous
If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup, of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:9, 10.
The message of the third angel is to prepare a people to stand in these days of peril, it is to he proclaimed with a loud voice and is to accomplish a work which few realize. Testimonies, Volume 8, 94:1.
This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Savior, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. This in the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which in to be proclaimed with a Mud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure. Testimonies to Ministers, 91:2.
A Warning Message
1. What is the meaning of the word “warning”?
Warning, as an adjective is descriptive of serving as an alarm, a signal, a summons, etc.; announcing something imminent, or impending, or the presence of danger.” Webster.
2. Where is the “presence of danger” involved; or, where is an alarm revealed; or, where is the summons to be found, in Revelation 14:10,11?
The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is contained in the third angel’s message. The Great Controversy, 449:2.
3. The third angel’s message warns against three things. Revelation 14:9.
4. What is the issue involved? Psalm 119:126.
And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set More the people and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast” [Revelation 16:2] The Great Controversy 449:1.
5. Why is this warning message so significant?
The third angel of Revelation 14 is represented as flying swiftly through the midst of heaven crying: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” [Revelation 14:12] Here is shown the nature of the work of the people of God. They have a message of so great importance that they are represented as flying in the presentation of it to the world. They are holding m their hands the bread of life for a famishing world. The love of Christ constrains them. This is the Last message. There are no more to follow; no more invitations of mercy to be given after this message shall have done its work. What a trust! Testimonies, Volume 5, 206:3.
6 How can the warning message, if heeded, serve as a preparation to meet God?
This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angers message. which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure. Testimonies to Ministers, 92:0.
To those who have received the message, God has given the task of warning the world.
Uplifts Christ and Prepares a People
Note the character traits of the saints, who, living just prior to the Second Coming, give the third angel’s message:
I was pointed down to the tune when the third angers message was closing. The power of God had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living testimony had been revived. Early Writings, 279:1.
By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand. The Great Controversy, 612:1.
Contains a Reward
9. What is a saint? Matthew 7: 21; 25:32-46; Revelation 14:12.
A saint is “one extraordinarily charitable, patient, self-denying.” Webster.
The eternal God has drawn the line of distinction between the saints and the sinners, the converted and the unconverted. They are as distinct as midday and midnight They [the saints] meditate upon the Incarnation of Christ, they contemplate the great sacrifice made to save them from perdition, to bring in pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness. Holiness and truth, grace and righteousness, occupy the thoughts. Self dies, and Christ lives in His servants. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 341:1,2.
10. How are those described who refuse to worship the beast? Revelation 12:17; 14:12.
11. What is the reward of the saints? Revelation 15:24; 20:4-6.
Think of This:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 24:14
Revelation 14:9-12
Revelation 22:11, 12
Define or Identify:
Image of the beast
Mark of the beast
And the Lord said, MY Spirit shall not always strive with man. Genesis 6:3.
When the work of investigation shall be ended, when -the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not until then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence, They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut” [Matthew 25:10], we are carried down through the Savior’s final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed.
When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. The Great Controversy, 428:2; 490:2.
God’s Mercy and Salvation
1. How is God’s love unmistakably revealed? John 3:16; 15:13.
Tongue cannot utter it. Pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it. You may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. Testimonies, Volume 5, 740:1.
2. What is the repeated expression David used to emphasize God’s mercy? Psalm 136.
3. How did the psalmist illustrate God’s mercy? Psalm 103:8, 11.
4. Mat visible, tangible object did God use to represent the joining of His mercy and His justice? Exodus 25:17, 22.
The law of God, enshrined within the ark, was the great rule of righteousness and judgment. That law pronounced death upon the transgressor; but above the law was the mercy seat, upon which the presence of God was revealed, and from which, by virtue of the atonement, pardon was granted to the repentant sinner. Thus in the work of Christ for our redemption, symbolized by the sanctuary service, “mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10. Patriarchs and Prophets, 349:1
5. What have we found the gospel message to be? Romans 1:16.
6. Note the preaching and acceptance of the gospel in the various eras of earth’s history leading to the close of probation:
7. What still remains to be done to bring “the end”? Matthew 24:14.
Period of Trial
8. What does the word “Probation” mean?
Probation-Act of proving; any proceeding designed to ascertain truth, to determine character; trial, or a period of trial; the method of treating a convicted delinquent whereby he is released on a suspended sentence. Webster.
We know not how soon our probation may close and we must face our life’s record.
9. What phrase of John 3:16 reveals an element of probation?
10. What signal event fills the measure of iniquity and closes probation?
ANSWER: Enforcing a man-made law (Sunday worship) contrary to the divine law of Sabbath observance.
By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its constitution as a Protestant and republican government we may know that the end is near.
As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God’s forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full. Testimonies, Volume 5, 451:1, 2.
11. Is a probationary period an essential part of the gospel? Deuteronomy 28; Joshua 24:15; John 3:16.
12. Why is it an act of mercy to bring sin’s reign to an end? Isaiah 65:16-20; Ezekiel 33:11; John 14: 1-21; Revelation 21:1-5.
A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture
to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They [the wicked] would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God. The Great Controversy, 543: 0.
13. Note the solemn Biblical language which characterizes probation’s close:
14. What manner of persons ought we to be as we realize that probation is soon to close? 2 Peter 3:11.
We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close. At the longest, we have but a brief lifetime here, and we know not how soon the arrow of death may strike our hearts. The Ministry of Heating, 454:1
Think of This:
The days of our probation are fast closing. The end is near. To us the warning is given, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and, cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Luke 21:34. Beware lest it find you unready. Take heed lest you be found at the King’s feast without a wedding garment. Christ’s Object Lessons, 319:1,2.
Texts to Remember:
Genesis 6:3 Joshua 24:15 Ezekiel 33: 11
Define or Identify “Clear the guilty” Tangible
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12: 1.
The Great Controversy, 613:1 to 652:2; Early Writings, 282:2 to 287:2
Jacob’s experience daring that night of wrestling and anguish represents the trial through which the people of God must pass just before Christ’s Second Coming. The prophet Jeremiah, in holy vision looking down to this time, said: “We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. All faces are turned into paleness. Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:5-7. Patriarchs and Prophets, 201:1.
Time of Trouble Foretold
Such will be the experience of God’s people in their final struggle with the powers of evil. God Will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them. Satan will endeavor to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless; that their sins have been too great to receive pardon. They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives, their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God’s mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fall because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, “I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.” [Genesis 32:26]
Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God could not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life. Patriarchs and Prophets, 202:1,2.
3. What does God say He has “reserved against the time of trouble”? Job 38:22, 23. (See Revelation 16:17, 21.)
When Does It Commence?
4. When does this “time of trouble such as never was” begin? Daniel 12: 1.
When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man’s behalf, then this time of trouble will begin. Then the case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin. Patriarchs and Prophets, 201:2.
5. What solemn words mark the close of Jesus’ work as our intercessor? Revelation 22:11.
When Jesus leaves His position as man’s intercessor before God, the solemn announcement is made, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22: 11. Patriarchs and Prophets, 201:2.
Preparation for the Time of Trouble
6. Against what preparation are we warned and why?
The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw that if the saints had food laid up by them, or in the field in the time of trouble, when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it would be taken from them by violent hands, and strangers would reap their fields-Early Writings, 56:2.
7. What alone will save us in the time of trouble?
Many are slumbering in a time of peril, not realizing the crisis that is ahead.
A form of godliness will not save any. All must have a deep and living experience. This alone will save them in the time of trouble. Then their work will be tried of what sort it is; and if it is gold, silver, and precious stones, they will be hid as in the secret of the Lord’s pavilion. But it their work is wood, hay, and stubble, nothing can shield them from the fierceness of Jehovah’s wrath. Testimonies, Volume 1, 125:1.
8. What relation do the “refreshing” and the 9atter rain” have to one’s readiness for the time of trouble?
I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful, and were looking to the time of “refreshing” [Acts 3:19] and the “latter rain” [Zechariah 10: 11] to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord, and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation, therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. I saw that none could share the “refreshing,” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. Early Writings, 71:2.
9. What kind of faith is needed to face the time of trouble?
The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger, a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The Great Controversy, 621:2.
10. What must be true of those who receive God’s seal and are protected in the time of trouble?
Those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble, must reflect the image of Jesus fully. Early Writings, 71:1.
God’s People During the Time of Trouble
I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land. The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments upon them, and they rose up and took counsel to rid the earth of us, thinking that then the evil would be stayed. Life Sketches, 102:0.
12. What has God promised to do in the time of trouble? Psalms 27:5; 41:1.
13. What assurance of protection and succor during the plagues is given? Psalm 91:9, 10; Isaiah 33: 16; 41:17.
While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous, and supply their wants. To him that “walks righteously” is the promise, “Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” Isaiah 33:15, 16. The Great Controversy, 629:2.
14. Why is it so difficult to picture the coming time of trouble? Daniel 12: 1.
It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. in that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God-The Great Controversy, 622:4.
15. When will God deliver His people?
It was at midnight that God chose to deliver His people. As the wicked were mocking around them, suddenly the sun appeared, shining in his strength, and the moon stood still. The wicked looked upon the scene with amazement, while the saints beheld with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Early Writings, 285:1.
Think of This:
Texts to Remember:
Isaiah 33:16 Daniel 12: 1
Define or Identify:
“Latter rain” Temporal
“Refreshing”
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. Revelation 15:1.
Said the angel, “Get ready, Set ready, get ready.” Then I saw that the seven last plagues were won to he poured out upon those who have no shelter, yet the world regarded them no more than they would so many drops of water that were about to fall. I was then made capable of enduring the awful sight of the seven last plagues, the wrath of God. I saw that His anger was dreadful and terrible, and if He should stretch forth His hand, or lift it in anger, the inhabitants of the world would be as though they had never been, or would suffer from incurable sores and withering plagues that would come upon them, and they would find no deliverance, but he destroyed by them.
Terror seized me, and I fell upon my face before the angel, and begged of him to cause the sight to be removed, to hide it from me, for it was too dreadful. Then I realized, as never before, the importance of searching the word of God carefully, to know how to escape the plagues which that word declares shall come on all the ungodly who shall worship the beast and his image, and received his mark in their foreheads or in their hands. Early Writings, 64:2.
The Plagues
1. What are the seven last plagues?
These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off. Yet they will be the most awful scourges that have ever been known to mortals. All the judgments upon men, prior to the close of probation, have been mingled with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ, has shielded the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt; but in the final Judgment, wrath is poured out Unmixed with mercy. The Great Controversy, 628:2.
First Plague, Revelation 16:2
2. Who are particularly pointed out as receiving the first plague? Revelation 16:2.
Second Plague, Revelation 16:3
3. What happened when the second plague was poured out? Revelation 16:1
Third Plague, Revelation 16:4
4. What was affected when the third plague was poured out? Revelation 16:4.
5. What declaration was made by “the angel of the waters,” and who answered him? Revelation 16:5-7.
The angel of God declares: “thou art righteous, 0 Lord because Thou has judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou has given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” Revelation 16:5, 6. By condemning the people of God to death, they have as truly incurred the guilt of their blood as if it had been shed by their hands. In like manner Christ declared the Jews of His time guilty of all the blood of holy men which had been shed since the days of Abel; for they possessed the same spirit, and were seeking to do the same work, with these murderers of the prophets. The Great Controversy 628:0.
Fourth Plague, Revelation 16: 8, 9
6. What was the fourth plague, and how did those upon whom it fell react, to it? Revelation 16:8,9.
The prophets thus describes the condition of the earth at this fearful time: “The land mourns because the harvest of the field is perished.” “All the trees of the field are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” “The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate.” “How do the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture. The rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” “The songs of the temple shall be howling in that day, said the Lord God. There shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.” Joel 1: 10-1-2, 17-20; Amos 8:3-The Great Controversy, 628:1.
Fearful ore the judgments that will fall on those who have persecuted the saints.
7. What has resulted from the judgments of God in the past? Isaiah 26:9.
8. Why do people not repent as these judgments fall upon them, as they have in times past? Revelation 16:9, 11.
The plagues were falling upon the inhabitants of the earth- Some were denouncing God and cursing Him. Others rushed to the people of God and begged to be taught how they might escape His judgments. But the saints had nothing for them. The last tear for sinners had been shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given. The sweet voice of mercy was no more to invite them. When the saints, and all heaven, were interested for their salvation, they had no interest for themselves. Life and death had been set before them. Many desired life, but made no effort to obtain it. They did not choose life, and now there was no atoning blood to cleanse the guilty, no compassionate Savior to plead for them, and cry, “Spare, spare the sinner a little longer.” All heaven had united with Jesus, as they heard the fearful words, “It is done. It is finished.” The plan of salvation had been accomplished, but few had chosen to accept it. And as mercy’s sweet voice died away. Fear and horror seized the wicked. With terrible distinctness they heard the words, “Too late! Too late!” Early Writings, 281:1.
Fifth Plague, Revelation 16: 10, 11
It is poured upon the seat of the beast, the papacy. The seat of the beast is wherever the papal see is located, which has been thus far, and without doubt will continue to be, the city of Rome. “His kingdom” probably embraces all those who are ecclesiastical subjects of the pope wherever they may be. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 690:5.
Sixth Plague, Revelation 16:12-16
10. Upon what is the sixth vial poured out? Revelation 16:12.
The river Euphrates is evidently a symbol of the country through which it flows. (See Isaiah 8:7 and Revelation 9:14.)
11. What nation has held the territory drained by the Euphrates River, and has experienced a drying up? [Only one power can fit the prophecy and] all agree that that power was Babylon. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 692:4.
At its height the Ottoman Empire extended on the east to the Tigris and the Caspian Sea; on the south to Aden, including Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Algiers; on the north, the kingdom of Hungary, the Balkan States, the Crimea. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 693:3.
12. For what purpose was the water of the Euphrates dried up? And by what means are “the kings of the earth” gathered to the battle of that great day of God Almighty”? Revelation 16:12-14.
The sources from which these spirits Issue denote that they will work among the great religious divisions of mankind, represented by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, or paganism, Roman Catholicism, and apostate Protestantism. Uriah Smith. The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 700: 1.
13. “The battle of that great day of God Almighty - Armageddon.” Revelation 16:14.16.
“They gathered them together into the place which to called in Hebrew Har-Magedon,” says the American Revised Version. “They did bring them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Armageddon,” reads Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible. Hence it is logical to conclude that the persons gathered are the minions of Satan, not the saints; that it is the work of the spirits, not of Christ. And that the place of assemblage is not in the New Jerusalem at the marriage supper of the Lamb, but at Armageddon (or Mount Megiddo), at “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 701:1.
14. What words of Christ bring hope to His faithful ones? Revelation 16:15.
Seventh Plague, Revelation 16:17-21
15. As the seventh angel pours his vial into the air, what brief announcement does a voice from the temple of heaven make, and what happens in the sky and in the earth? Revelation 16:17, 18.
That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, “such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Revelation 16:17, 18 The mountains shake like a reed in the wind, and ragged rocks are scattered on every side. There is a roar as of a coming tempest. The sea is lashed into fury. There is heard the shriek of the hurricane, like the voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves and swells like the waves of the sea. The Great Controversy, 637:1.
16. “The great city was divided into three parts.” Revelation 16:19.
The great city is divided into three parts; that is, the three grand divisions of the false and apostate religions of the world (the great city), paganism, Roman Catholicism, and apostate Protestantism, seem to be set apart each to receive Its appropriate doom. The cities of the nations fall; universal desolation spreads over the earth; every Island flees away, and the mountains are not found. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 702:1
17. What is the last of the seven last plagues? Revelation 16:21.
Every hailstone is said to be “about the weight of a talent.” According to various authorities, a talent as a weight is about fifty-seven pounds avoirdupois. What could withstand the force of stones of such an enormous weight falling from heaven? But mankind, at this time, will have no shelter. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 703:1.
God’s People Protected
18. Whom does John see on the sea of glass, having the harps of God? Revelation 15:2.
19. Divine promises:
Think of This:
At the General Conference of believers in the present truth, held at Sutton, Vermont, September, 1850, I was shown that the seven last plagues will be poured out after Jesus leaves the sanctuary. Early Writings, 52:1.
Texts to Remember:
Psalm 34:7
Psalm 91
Revelation 15: 1 Revelation 16
Define or Identify:
Armageddon
Crimea
Ottoman Empire
Babylon
Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:1
The importance of studying the Apocalypse increases with the lapse of time. Here are “things which must shortly come to pass.” Revelation 1: 3. Even when John bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw, the long period within which those successive scene were to be realized was at hand. The first in the connected series was on the eve of accomplishment. If proximity then constituted a motive for heeding these contents, how much more does it now! Every revolving century, every closing year, adds to the urgency with which attention is challenged to the concluding portion of Holy Writ. And does not that intensity of devotion to the present, which characterizes our times and our country, enhance the reasonableness of this claim? Never, surely, was there a period when some mighty counteracting power was more needed. The Revelation of Jesus Christ duly studied supplies an appropriate corrective influence. Would that all Christians might in fullest measure receive-the blessing of “them that bear the words of this prophecy, and that keep the things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.” Revelation 1:3. Augustus C. Thompson, Morning Hours in Patmos, 28.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Seven Churches
The Seven Seals Opened
The Sounding of Seven Trumpets
The Dragon Was Wroth, With the Woman
1. What do the following represent in Scripture?
2. What is the meaning of, “The earth helped the woman”?
3. Why will the remnant of God suffer persecution?
The Leopard Beast of Revelation 13
1. List the factors which reveal the “beast of Revelation 1W to be a religious power.
2. Who is the beast?
3. From whom did the beast get his power?
4. What chapter in the book of Daniel corresponds with Revelation 139
5. Who inflicted the “deadly wound”?
6. Can you count the number of the beast?
The Mark of the Beast
The Two-Horned Beast
The First Angel’s Message
The Second Angel’s Message
The Third Angel’s Message
The Close of Probation
The Time of Trouble
The Seven Last Plagues
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
Be sure that you are able to outline the following chapters of the Bible: Psalm 91
Revelation 2 and 3
Revelation 8, 9 and 16
The condition of man in death is one of unconsciousness. All men, good and evil alike, remain in the grave from death to the resurrection. Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6; Psalm 146:3; John 5:28, 29. There shall be a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust. The resurrection of the just will take place at the Second Coming of Christ; the resurrection of the unjust will take place a thousand years later, at the close of the millennium. John 5:28, 29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:5-10. The finally impenitent, including Satan, the author of sin, will, by the fires of the last day, be reduced to a state of nonexistence, becoming as though they had not been, thus purging God’s universe of sin and sinners.
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7.
In the creation of man was manifest the agency of a personal God. When God had made man in His image, the human form was perfect in all its arrangements, but it was without life. Then a personal, self existing God breathed into that form the breath of life, and man became a living, intelligent being. All parts of the human organism were act in action. The heart, the arteries, the veins, the tongue, the hands, the feet, the senses, the faculties of the mind, all began their work, and all were placed under law. Man became a living soul. Through Christ the Word, a personal God created man, and endowed him with intelligence and power. The Ministry of Healing, 415:1.
Creation of Man
Man’s Characteristics
3. Is any other creature besides man called a “living soul”? Revelation 16:1
4. What physical characteristics has man in common with other living creatures? Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 3:19; Acts 17:25.
5. What does Job call that which God breathed into man’s nostrils? Job 27:3. The margin says, “The breath which God gave him.”
6. If the “spirit” is the “breath,” what becomes of it when we die? Ecclesiastes 12:7.
That is, the spirit, or breath of life by which man lives, and which is only lent him of God, at death goes back to the great Author of life. Having come from Him, it belongs to God, and man can have it eternally only as a gift from God, through Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:233 When the spirit goes back to God, the dust, from which man was made a “living soul” in the beginning, goes back as it was, to the earth, and the individual no longer exists as a living, conscious, thinking being, except as he exists in the mind, plan, and purpose of God through Christ and the resurrection. In this sense “all live unto Him” (Luke 20:38), for all are to be raised from the dead. (See John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Romans 4:17] Bible Readings for-the Home, 499:14.
Man’s Nature
7. What is man by nature? Job 4:17. Mortal: “Subject to death.” Webster. Immortal: “Not subject to death.” Webster.
8. When and with whom did the doctrine of the Immortality of man originate? Genesis 3:4. The serpent-Satan-said, “You shall not surely die.” Genesis 3:4.
9. What people were first in developing and teaching that the soul of man is immortal?
The Egyptians were also the first to broach the opinion that the soul of man is Immortal, and that when the body dies, At enters into the form of an animal which is born at the moment thence passing on from one animal into another, until it has circled through the forms of all the creatures which tenant the earth, the water, and the air, after which it enters again into a human frame, and is born anew. The whole period of the transmigration is (they say) three thousand years. There are Greek writers, some of an earlier, some of a later date, who have borrowed this doctrine from the Egyptians, and put it forward as their own. Herodotus book 2, chapter 123, trans. by George Rawlinson. (Source Book for Bible Students, 346:1J
The Soul of Man
10. The soul is the total living being. Genesis 2:7.
The teaching of natural immortality does away with Christ’s redemption for lost men.
11. Notice the factors peculiar to the soul which make it different, from the spirit and the body:
Since the soul of man can sin, it is therefore different from animals in that it is capable of moral choice. The soul is likewise distinguished from the spirit (breath or wind) and the body (the elements of the earth) in that they also do not in themselves sin, as they are under the domination of the mind. Hence, in the larger sense, the soul is the total conscious man; but in a specific sense it is merely the “conscious” part of man. Consequently it can be either carnal, wicked, and lost; or spiritual, righteous, and saved.
Furthermore, it follows that if at death there is no consciousness in the spirit or the body, and the mind also loses consciousness, then there is no particular merit in going unconsciously to heaven. Indeed, sleep in death becomes more understandable.
Immortality
12. Who only has immortality? 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15, 16.
13. In whom is eternal life to be found? John 17:3; 1 John 5: 11.
14. How may you obtain eternal life? 2 Timothy 1: 10; 1 John 5: 12.
15. Why did Jesus come to this earth? John 5:40; 10:10.
He [Jesus] was willing to pour out His soul unto death, to bring salvation within their reach; but few would come to Him that they might have life. The Great Controversy, 22:1.
16. For what should we seek? Romans 2:7.
Only through Christ can Immortality be obtained. The Great Controversy, 533:1.
17. What is the Christian’s reward, and when will he receive it? 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.
At His [Jesus’] coming the righteous dead will be raised, and the righteous living will be changed.
By this great change they [the righteous] are prepared to receive the kingdom. The Great Controversy,
322:1, 2.
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember. Genesis 2:7
Job 27:3
1 Timothy 6:16
Define or Identify:
Conscious
Create
Image
Immortal
Mortal
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is -forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:5.
To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. 9f a man keep My saying, he shall never we death,” “he shall never taste of death.” John 8:51,52. To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The lift is bid with Christ in God, and “when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:4, The Desire of Ages, 787:1.
Death and Its Results
1. What changes take place at death?
2. His mental faculties cease to operate.
3. What report did Lazarus bring back from the grave?
Many expected to hear from Lazarus a wonderful account of scenes witnessed after death. They were surprised that he told them nothing. He had nothing of this kind to tell. But Lazarus did have a wonderful testimony to bear in regard to the work of Christ. He had been raised from the dead for this purpose. With assurance and power he declared that Jesus was the Son of God. The Desire of Ages, 557:4.
4. What, then, is death?
The answer of the Bible [regarding death] is simple and explicit. It is the opposite of life. It is a return to what man was before God breathed into him the breath of life. Death is the withdrawal of life and all that It Implies. Life implies thought and consciousness. In death there is neither thought nor consciousness. Life suggests activity. Death means the cessation of activity. In death all connection with life is broken off. W. L. Emmerson, The Bible Speaks, 660:7.
Man’s Resting Place
5. Are not the righteous dead now in heaven praising God? Psalm 115:17.
6. The dead are asleep. John 11:11, 14; Acts 7:60.
7. How did Job describe those who have died? Job 3:17, 18.
8. “If a man die, shall he live again?” Job 14:14. How did Job answer his own question? Job 14:21.
9. Where does Job say the dead will sleep? Job 17:13; 21:32.
The Hebrew original for “grave” in this verse in Sheol, meaning among other things a dark, hollow, subterranean place, used simply in reference to the abode of the dead in general, without distinguishing between the good and the bad. Bible Readings for the Home, 504:9.
10. How long did Job say the dead would remain in the grave? Job 14:12, 14.
11. When this period of “rest” is over, who will call those who sleep? Job 14:15; John 5:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, “Awake! awake! awake! You that sleep in the dust, and arise.” Early Writings, 16:1.
Objections Answered
I say unto thee today, Thou shall be with Me in Paradise. Christ did not promise that the thief should be with Him in Paradise that day. He Himself did not go that day to Paradise. He slept in the tomb, and on the morning of the resurrection He said. “I am not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20:17 “Today” while dying upon the cross as a malefactor, Christ assures the poor sinner, Thou shall be with Me in Paradise. The Desire of Ages, 751:3.
13. At the tomb Christ told Mary that He had not ascended to His Father. John 20:17, 18.
14. How do you explain the parable of the rich man and Lazarus? Luke 16:19-31.
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Christ shows that in this life men decide their eternal destiny. No after probation will be granted them. This parable draws a contrast between the rich who have not made God their dependence, and the poor who have made God their dependence. Christ shows that the time is coming when the position of the two classes will be reversed. In this parable Christ was meeting the people on their own ground. The doctrine of a conscious state of existence between death and the resurrection was held by many of those who were listening to Christ’s words. Object Lessons, 260:1,2; 263:2.
15. Explain Philippians 1:23.
This will be fulfilled when Paul, with all Christians, receives his reward at the second, advent of Christ. (See 2 Timothy 4:6-8.)
16. What is Paul speaking of In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8?
This will take place when this mortal puts on immortality. (See 1 Corinthians 15:42-45, 54.)
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember: Job 14:12,21
Psalm 146:3,4
Ecclesiastes 9:5,6; 12:7
Define or Identify:
Death
Eternal
Forever
Grave
Hell
Sleep
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5:28, 29.
Christ is coming with clouds and with great glory. A multitude of shining angels will attend Him. He will come to raise the dead, and to change the living saints from glory to glory. He will come to honor those who have loved Him, and kept His commandments, and to take them to Himself. He has not forgotten them nor His promise. There will be a rejoining of the family chain. When we look upon our dead, we may think of the morning when the trump of God shall sound, when “the dead shall he raised incorruptible, and we shall he changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:22. The Desire of Ages, 632:3.
Foretold in Prophecy
1. How was Job’s question answered, “If a man die, shall he live again?” Job 14:14, 15.
The question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” [Job 14:14] has been answered. By bearing the penalty of sin, by going down into the grave, Christ has brightened the tomb for all who die in faith. God in human form has brought life and Immortality to light through the gospel. Testimonies, Volume 6, 230:1
2. When did David say he would be satisfied? Psalm 17:15.
3. What did Isaiah write about the dead? Isaiah 26:19.
4. What did Ezekiel write concerning the resurrection? Ezekiel 37:12.
Resurrection of Jesus
5. What did Jesus say to Martha concerning Himself? John 11:25.
6. What did the angel tel1 those who came to the sepulcher on that Sunday morning? Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:6, 7; Luke 24:2-7.
7. Who besides Jesus was resurrected that glorious morning? Matthew 27:52, 53.
8. Of what did the apostles give witness with great power? Acts 4:33.
9. How important is the resurrection of Jesus? 1 Corinthians 15:13-22.
Resurrection of the Dead
10. Are the “saints” the only ones to be resurrected from the grave? John 5:28, 29.
11. In reality there are two general resurrections (John 5:29):
12. When does “the resurrection of life” (John 5:29) or the resurrection of the righteous take place? Matthew 24:30, 31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The righteous dead will not be raised until after the judgment at which they are accounted worthy of “the resurrection of life.” [John 5:29] Hence they will not be present in person at the tribunal when their records are examined and their cases decided. The Great Controversy, 482:3.
Soon appeared the great white cloud. It looked more lovely than ever before. On it sat the Son of man. At first we did not see Jesus on the cloud, but as it drew near the earth we could behold His lovely person. This cloud, when it first appeared, was the sign of the Son of man in heaven. The voice of the Son of God called forth the sleeping saints, clothed with glorious Immortality. The living saints were changed in a moment, and were caught up with them into the cloudy chariot. It looked all over glorious as it rolled upward. Early Writings, 35:1.
13. What relation does the resurrected Christ bear to all the righteous dead? 1 Corinthians 15:23.
The resurrection of Jesus was a type of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. The countenance of the risen Savior, His manner, His speech, were all familiar to His disciples. As Jesus arose from the dead, so those who sleep in Him are to rise again. We shall know our friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their Identity will be perfectly preserved. Then shall we know even as also we are known. 1 Corinthians 13:12. In the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, we shall recognize the lineaments of those we love. The Desire of Ages, 804:1.
14. What part will the angels have in the resurrection? Matthew 24:31.
Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms. The Great Controversy, 645:1.
Every redeemed one will understand the ministry of angels in his own life. The angel who was his guardian from his earliest moment; the angel who watched his steps, and covered his head in the day of peril. The angel who was with him in the valley of the shadow of death, who marked his resting place, who was the first to greet him in the resurrection morning-what will it be to hold converse with him, and to learn the history of divine interposition in the individual life, of heavenly co-operation in every work for humanity! Education, 305:2.
Spanning the gulf of death is the bow of promise, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life.”
15. What about the physical stature of those resurrected? Malachi 4:2.
All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered the tomb. Adam, who stands among the risen throng, is of lofty height and majestic form, in stature but little below the Son of God. He presents a marked contrast to the people of later generations; In this one respect is shown the great degeneracy of the race. But all arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth. In the beginning, man was created in the likeness of God, not only in character, but in form and feature. Sin defaced and almost obliterated the divine image; but Christ came to restore that which had been lost. He will change our vile bodies, and fashion them like unto His glorious body All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will “grow up” (Malachi 4:2) to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. The Great Controversy, 644:3.
16. The first resurrection is preceded by a special resurrection which will include some of the righteous and some of the wicked. Daniel 12:2.
17. There are three distinct resurrections:
a. Special Resurrection:
b. First Resurrection:
c. Second Resurrection:
(1) “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:8.
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember: John 5:28, 29
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17
Define or Identify: “Everlasting contempt”
Incorruptible
Perish
“Everlasting life” Sepulcher
Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1.
The heathen oracles have their counterpart in the spiritualistic mediums, the clairvoyants, and fortunetellers of today. The mystic voices that spoke at Ekron and Endor are still by their lying words misleading the children of men. The prince of darkness has but appeared under a new guise. The mysteries of heathen worship are replaced by the secret associations and seances, the obscurities and wonders, of the sorcerers of our time. Their disclosures are eagerly received by thousands who refuse to accept light from God’s word or from His Spirit. While they speak with scorn of the magicians of old, the great deceiver laughs in triumph as they yield to his arts under a different form. Testimonies, Volume 3, 193: 1.
Ancient Spiritualism
11. Why did God drive out the nations of Canaan? Deuteronomy 18:9-12.
The Lord presented before Israel the results of holding communion with evil spirits, in the abominations of the Canaanites: they were without natural affection, idolaters, adulterers, murderers, and abominable by every corrupt thought and revolting practice.
Then, as now, Satan was watching to bring about conditions favorable to rebellion, that the people of Israel might make themselves as abhorrent to God as were the Canaanites. The adversary of souls is ever on the alert to open channels for the unrestrained flow of evil in us; for he desires that we may be ruined, and be condemned before God. Patriarchs and Prophets, 688:1
Definitions:
3. What was to be done with a man or woman that had “a familiar spirit, op that is a wizard”? Leviticus 20:27.
Modern spiritualism, and the forms of ancient witchcraft and idol worship, all having communion with the dead as their vital principle, are founded upon that first lie by which Satan beguiled Eve in Eden: “You shall not surely die. For God does know that in the day you eat thereof you shall be as gods.” Genesis 3:4,5. Alike based upon falsehood and perpetuating the same, they are alike from the father of lies. Patriarchs and Prophets, 685:2.
6. When Saul said to the woman with a familiar spirit, “Bring me up Samuel,” who came up? 1 Samuel 28:7-25.
Millions of persons will be deluded by the doctrine that the dead can come back
The message itself is sufficient evidence of its origin. Its object was not to lead Saul to repentance, but to urge him on to ruin; and this is not the work of God, but of Satan. Furthermore, the act of Saul in consulting a sorceress is cited in Scripture as one reason why he was rejected by God and abandoned to destruction (1 Chronicles 10:13,14] Here it is distinctly stated that Saul inquired of the familiar spirit, not of the Lord. He did not communicate with Samuel, the prophet of God; but through the sorceress he held intercourse with Satan. Satan could not present the real Samuel, but he did present a counterfeit, that served his purpose of deception. Patriarchs and Prophets, 683:2.
7. Give Scriptural proof, showing that it could not have been Samuel with whom Saul talked.
e. Spirit, speaking for Samuel, ‘7omorrow shall thou and thy sons be with me.” 1 Samuel 28:19.
Modern Spiritualism
8. Under what guise does modern spiritualism operate?
It is fondly supposed that heathen superstitions have disappeared before the civilization of the twentieth century. But the word of God and the stern testimony of facts declare that sorcery is practiced in this age as verily as in the days of the old-time magicians. The ancient system of magic is, in reality, the same as what is now known as modern spiritualism.
Satan is finding access to thousands of minds by presenting himself under the guise of departed friends. The Scriptures declare that “the dead know not anything.” Ecclesiastes 9:5. Their thoughts, their love, their hatred, have perished. The dead do not hold communion with the living. But true to his early cunning, Satan employs this device in order to gain control of minds. The Acts of the Apostles, 289:2.
9. Can evil spirits foretell the future? 1 Samuel 28:19.
10. Did what had been told Saul, come to pass? 1 Samuel 31:14.
Yes, Saul was defeated by the Philistines, and he and his sons perished in the battle, Saul taking his own life.
The pretended visitants from the world of spirits sometimes utter cautions and warnings which prove to be correct. Then, as confidence is gained, they present doctrines that directly undermine faith in the Scriptures. The fact that they state some truths, and are able at times to foretell future events, gives to their statements an appearance of reliability; and their false teachings are accepted by the multitudes as readily, and believed as implicitly, as if they were the most sacred truths of the Bible. The Great Controversy, 552:2.
11. Through what two great errors will Satan bring the people of these last days under his deceptions?
Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays, the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modem order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. The Great Controversy, 588:1, 2.
12. What is the only means of defense against these evil spirits? John 5:39, first part.
The people of God must be prepared to withstand these spirits with the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, and that they who appear to them are the spirits of devils. We must seek wisdom from on high that we may stand in this day of error and delusion-Early Writings, 87:2.
13. How are we to test the spirits which come in these last days? Isaiah 8:19, 20; 1 John 4:1.
Think This Through:
3. For years spiritualism has been growing in strength and gaining in popularity by advocating a certain kind of faith in Christ, and thus many Protestants are becoming infatuated with this mystery of iniquity. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, May 28,1894.
Texts to Remember:
Isaiah 8:19,20 1 Timothy 4:1
Define or Identify:
Clairvoyant
Magician
Oracle Seance Spiritualism
For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall burn them up, said the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi 4:1.
The wicked receive their recompense in the earth. Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished “according to their deeds.” [Isaiah 59:18] The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch-Satan the root, his followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding, declare the righteousness of Jehovah. The Great Controversy, 673:1.
Vocabulary
1. Note the definitions of the fundamental words of this lesson:
From the Hebrew word, ‘ad, used as a preposition, adverb, conjunction as far (or long, or much) as, during,
while, until.” - James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, word Number 5704.
Some have thought, because of the prophet’s curse, The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and thy seed forever, that there are persons still alive who are this man’s real descendants, and afflicted with this horrible disease. The forever implies as long as any of his posterity should remain The forever of Gehazi was till his posterity became extinct. Adam Clarke, A Commentary and Critical Notes, on 2 Kings 5:27.
According to his [Clarke’s] rule, they [the words, forever, and for ever and ever] are to be taken to mean as long as a thing, considering the surrounding circumstances, can exist. Uriah Smith, Here and Hereafter, 295:5.
d. Hell: “The place of the dead, the grave, the place of punishment.”
e. Mortal: “Subject to death; destined to die; destructive to life.”
f. Perish: “Come to nothing, to be destroyed to die.”
God Is Love
2. How much did God love sinners? John 3:16; 15:13.
3. What is God’s attitude toward the wicked? Ezekiel 33:11; Matthew 23:37-39.
4. Will there be degrees of reward and punishment? Revelation 22:12.
a. The Rewards:
b. The Punishments:
Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished “according to their deeds!” [Isaiah 59:18] The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. The Great Controversy, 673:1.
No Endless Torture
5. The word hell has four derivations:
EXAMPLE: “Thou will not leave MY soul in hell [grave-Sheol].” This is Hebrew in the Old Testament. Psalm 16: 10. “Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell [grave Hades].” This is Greek in the New Testament. Acts 2:27.
c. Tartarus: “A dark abyss.” Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon. This word is used only once and refers to fallen angels. 2 Peter 2:4. Note that they are “reserved unto judgment.”
d. Gehenna: Valley of “Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, polluted with every species of filth, as well as the carcasses of animals and dead bodies of malefactors; to consume which, in order to avert the pestilence which such a mass of corruption would occasion, constant fires were kept burning.” Greenfield, Greek Lexicon, article, “Gehenna.”
6. What are the wages of sin? Romans 6:23.
7. If life has privileges, does life have responsibilities? Deuteronomy 30:15, 16; Joshua 24:15; Luke 12:48.
In the judgment, men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth. Patriarchs and Prophets, 55:2.
8. In the parable of the talents, what happened to the individual who buried his one talent? Matthew 25:14-30.
9. Does God take into consideration birth, heredity, and/or environment? Psalm 87:4-6; Luke 12:48. Their punishment was to be in proportion to their intelligence. Testimonies, Volume 4,165:0.
The sufferings of the men of Judah were to be in proportion to the light they had had, and to the warnings they had despised and rejected. Prophets and Kings, 425:2.
10. Notice how the Scriptures portray the complete destruction of the wicked:
“But the wicked shall perish [come to nothing].” Psalm 37:20.
d. The wicked will be consumed.
“Into smoke shall they consume away.” Psalm 37:20.
e. Will the fire which destroys the wicked burn out?
“They [the wicked] shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves.” Isaiah 47:14.
f. The wicked will burn.
“The day that comes shall burn them up.” Malachi 4:1.
g. The fire leaves the wicked-
“Neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4: 1.
“Everlasting destruction.” 2 Thessalonians 1: 9.
Wicked Destroyed-Body and Soul
11. To what is the body reduced? Malachi 4:1
12. The body can be killed, but what about the soul? Matthew 10:28.
13. Is the soul as mortal as the body? Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 10:28.
14. Can the soul be kept alive? Compare Psalm 22:29 with Isaiah 38:17.
15. What is God’s “strange act”? Isaiah 28:21.
Objections Answered
16. The fire that “shall not be quenched” will go out. Compare 2 Chronicles 36:19-22 and Isaiah 47:14 with Jeremiah 17:27.
17. The worm that “shall not die” will die. Compare Isaiah 66:24 with Revelation 21:1-5 and The Great Controversy, 673: 1.
18. “The smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever,” but it will end. Compare Revelation 14:11 and Revelation 18:8: Malachi 4:14 with Jonah 2:6; Exodus 21:1-6.
a. The word forever means continuous action as long as the object referred to can last.
A Clean Universe Again
19. What is the promise concerning the final annihilation of sin? Nahum 1: 9.
20. When the wicked shall have been destroyed, then there shall be no more pain. Isaiah 65:25; Ezekiel 28:26; Revelation 21:4.
21. What will be the final end of Satan, according to God’s word? Ezekiel 28:18, 19.
22. What is the ultimate fate of the earth? Isaiah 66:22, 23; Revelation 21:5.
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. The Great Controversy, 678:1
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember:
Romans 6:23 Jude 1:7
Ezekiel 18:4 Malachi 4:1 2 Peter 2:6
Define or Identify:
Consume
Unquenchable
Torture
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25.
Our first parents, though created innocent and holy, were not placed beyond the possibility of wrongdoing. God made them free moral agents, capable of appreciating the wisdom and benevolence of His character and the justice of His requirements, and with full liberty to yield or to withhold obedience. They were to enjoy communion with God and with holy angels; but before they could be rendered eternally secure, their loyalty must be tested. At the very beginning of man’s existence a check was placed upon the desire for self-indulgence, the fatal passion that lay at the foundation of Satan’s fall. The tree of knowledge, which stood near the tree of life in the midst of the garden, was to be a test of the obedience, faith, and love of our first parents. While permitted to cat freely of every other tree, they were forbidden to taste of this, on pain of death. They were also to be exposed to the temptations of Satan; but if they endured the trial, they would finally be placed beyond his power, to enjoy perpetual favor with God. Patriarchs and Prophets, 48:4.
The Nature of Man
Man in Death
Resurrection
Spiritualism
Punishment of the Wicked
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
The followers of Christ should be a godly people, not adopting the unholy maxims nor conforming to the unrighteous ways of the world, not loving its sinful pleasures nor countenancing its follies. Believers should recognize their bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and therefore they should clothe that body in neat, modest, dignified apparel. Further, in eating and drinking and in their entire course of conduct they should shape their lives as becomes followers of the meek and lowly Master. Thus the followers of Christ will be led to abstain from all intoxicating drinks, tobacco, and other narcotics, and to avoid every body- and soul-defiling habit and practice.
“Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy for the temple of God 1 is holy, which temple you are!” 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17.
What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19.
Transgression of physical law is transgression of the moral law; for God is as truly the author of physical laws as He is the author of the moral law. His law is written with His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle, every faculty, which has been entrusted to man. And every misuse of any part of our organism is a violation of that law.
All should have an intelligent knowledge of the human frame, that they may keep their bodies in the condition necessary to do the work of the Lord. The physical life is to be carefully preserved and developed, that through humanity the divine nature may be revealed in its fullness. The relation of the physical organism to the spiritual life is one of the most important branches of education. It should receive careful attention in the home and in the school. All need to become acquainted with their physical structure and the laws that control natural life. He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being, and who violates them through ignorance, is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health. Our habits should be brought under the control of a mind that is itself under the control of God. Christ’s Object Lessons, 347:1 to 348:1.
You Are Not Your Own
God’s Desire for Us
6. What did John say about health? 3 John 2.
Health is a blessing of which few appreciate the value; yet upon it the’ efficiency of our mental and physical powers largely depends. Our Impulses and passions have their seat in the body, and it must be kept in the best condition physically, and under the most spiritual influences, in order that our talents may be put to the highest use. Christ’s Object Lessons, 346:1.
7. How important is good health to any individual?
Since the mind and the soul find expression through the body, both mental and spiritual vigor are in great degree dependent upon physical strength and activity; whatever promotes physical health, promotes the development of a strong mind and a well-balanced character. Without health, no one can as distinctly understand or as completely fulfill his obligations to himself, to his fellow beings, or to his Creator. Therefore the health should be as faithfully guarded as the character. A knowledge of physiology and hygiene should be the basis of all educational effort. Education, 195:1.
Fundamental Principles
8. How are the laws of nature to be considered?
As the foundation principle of all education in these lines, the youth should be taught that the laws of nature are the laws of God-as truly divine as are the precepts of the Ten Commandments. The laws that govern our physical organism, God has written upon every nerve, muscle, and fiber of the body. Every careless or willful violation of these laws is a sin against our Creator. Education, 196:1
9. What is said of a merry heart and its effect on health? Proverbs 17:22.
10. How will the keeping of God’s commandments affect life? Proverbs 3: 1, 2.
11. What effect do pleasant words have on the health? Proverbs 16:24.
12. With whom is the fountain of life? Psalm 36:8-10.
13. Why did Jesus come to this world? John 10:10.
14. Name some of the essentials for good health:
Not only is He [God] the originator of all, but He is the life of everything that lives. It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength. It is by His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by moment. Except as perverted by sin, all His gifts tend to life, to health and joy. Education, 197:5.
God’s Property
15. To whom do we not belong? 1 Corinthians 6: 19.
16. Since we belong to God, what should we do in our body and in our spirit? 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Peter 1:17-21.
A great lesson is learned when we understand our relation to God, and His relation to us. The words, “You are not your own, for you are bought with a price” [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20], should be hung in memory’s hall, that we may ever recognize God’s right to our talents, our property, our influence, our individual selves. We are to learn how to treat this gift of God, in mind, in soul, in body, that as Christ’s purchased possession, we may do Him healthful, savory service. Testimonies to Ministers, 423:1.
Remember:
Texts to Remember: 1 Corinthians 3:17 1 Corinthians 6,19, 20 1 Peter 2:9
Berkeley Translation of Matthew 6:25. Eat for strength, and not for drunkenness! Ecclesiastes 10:17.
Our bodies are built up from the food we eat. There in a constant breaking down of the tissues of the body; every movement of every organ involves waste, and this waste is repaired from our food. Each organ of the body requires its share of nutrition. The brain must he supplied with its portion; the bones, muscles, and nerves demand theirs. It is a wonderful process that transforms the food into blood, and uses this blood to build up the varied parts of the body; but this process is going on continually, supplying with life And strength each nerve, muscle, and tissue. The Ministry of Healing, 295:1.
Man’s Original Diet
1. What was man given to eat in the beginning? Genesis 1:29.
The word “meat” is used in the King James Version, as it still is in Scotland, to represent “food” in general. The Bible Reader’s Encyclopedia and Concordance, article, “Meat.”
2. What did God add to man’s diet after the earth had been cursed by sin? Genesis 3:18.
In order to know what are the best foods, we must study God’s original plan for man’s diet. He who created man and who understands his needs appointed Adam his food
Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect, that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet. The Ministry of Healing, 295:3 to 296: 1.
Essentials of an Adequate Dietary
3. There seem to be five essentials for an adequate diet for man:
4. What are proteins?
Proteins are a class of important food compounds found in nearly all vegetable and animal products. The term “protein” is taken from the Greek word meaning “first.” Proteins take first place, for there is no known life without them. Proteins are essential constituents of every cell of the body. Proteins supply the material for construction, growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues and structures. There are two classes: complete, as found in milk, eggs, soybeans, and nuts; and incomplete, as found in most cereals and legumes. About 10 per cent of the total caloric intake is the quantity of proteins which are recommended.
5. What are known as fats in food?
Fats are energy-producing, or fuel, foods. Each gram of fat when burned in the body yields nine calories of heat. Normally 25 to 30 per cent of the total caloric intake is to be derived from fats.
6. What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are energy-producing foods. Each gram, when oxidized or burned in the body, yields four calories of heat. Carbohydrates may be burned as fuel to yield energy for internal or external work, or for heat. They may be stored in the body as glycogen, or may be converted into body fat. Sunshine is the source of energy foods. The large group of starches and sugars are classed in this category.
7. What are mineral salts?
Increasing recognition is being given to the mineral elements of foodstuffs and the vitally important role they play in human nutrition. The bones and teeth, for example, owe their needed degrees of rigidity and hardness to the inorganic, relatively insoluble, mineral elements they contain. The more prominent and important mineral salts are: calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, sulfur, copper, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chlorine. If we obtain adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, and iodine each day in our foods, it is likely that we shall not be lacking in the other mineral elements.
8. The needed vitamins:
There are many vitamins. Those most likely to be lacking in an otherwise adequate diet are: A, which exists as preformed vitamin A in fish-liver oil, milk, fat, and eggs. B or thiamine, one fraction of the B complex, widely distributed in nature, especially in the germ of cereals and in the outer layers of whole grains. B2 or riboflavin, found in a wide variety of plant and animal foods. Niacin found in natural foods in only small amounts. C or ascorbic acid, widely distributed in natural staple foods, especially among the fruits, particularly citrus; and D, found in meager quantities in natural food sources. This vitamin should be sought in sunlight or ultraviolet rays from special lamps, in enriched milk, and in other sources.
9. What food does medical science recommend for use today?
The basic seven, consisting of fruits, two or more servings daily of fresh fruit-citrus fruit or tomatoes often; vegetables (one green or yellow), two or more daily besides potatoes, leafy vegetables often; milk, two or more glasses daily for adults, four or more for children. Eggs, three to five weekly. Butter or margarine, two or more table spoonful’s daily; whole grains, two or more servings daily in the form of bread or cooked or prepared cereals; and nuts, cottage or cream cheese, or soybeans, one or more servings daily. (See “Our Daily Food Needs” chart.)
Flesh as Food
10. Was man ever given permission to eat flesh? Genesis 9:3, 4.
Before this time God had given man no permission to eat animal food; He intended that the race should subsist wholly upon the productions of the earth; but now that every green thing had been destroyed, he allowed them to eat the flesh of the clean beasts that had been preserved in the ark. Patriarchs and Prophets, 107:3.
God gave the people that which was not for their highest good, because they persisted in desiring it; they would not be satisfied with those things that would prove a benefit to them. Their rebellious desires were gratified, but they were left to suffer the result. They feasted without restraint, and their excesses were speedily punished. “The Lord smote the people with a very great plague.” [Numbers 11:33] Large numbers were cut down by burning fevers, while the most guilty among them were smitten as soon as they tasted the food for which they had lusted. Patriarchs and Prophets, 382:2.
By departing from the plan divinely appointed for their diet, the Israelites suffered great loss. They desired a flesh diet, and they reaped its results. They did not reach God’s ideal of character or fulfill His purpose. The Lord gave them their request, but sent “leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15. They valued the earthly above the spiritual, and the sacred pre-eminence which was His purpose for them they did not attain. The Ministry of Healing, 312:2.
12. What principle for eating is set forth by Solomon? Ecclesiastes 10:17.
13. What does the wise man say will come to the drunkard and glutton? Proverbs 23:21.
14. What suggestion is given to one who is given to overeating? Proverbs 23:2.
15. Is flesh food as safe now as it was in the days of the Israelites?
Flesh was never the best food; but its use is now doubly objectionable, since disease in animals is so
rapidly increasing. Those who use flesh foods little know what they are eating. Often if they could see the animals when living and know the quality of the meat they eat, they would turn from it with loathing. People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tumors and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated. The Ministry of Healing, 313:2.
16. Note the clean and the unclean animals as listed in Leviticus 11.
17. Is there any moral issue involved in the eating of flesh foods?
The moral evils of a flesh diet are not less marked than are the physical ills. Flesh food is injurious to health, and whatever affects the body has a corresponding effect on the mind and the soul. Think of the cruelty to animals that meat eating involves and its effect on those who inflict d those who behold it. How it destroys the tenderness with which we should regard these creatures of God! The Ministry of Healing, 315:2.
18. What should be done when flesh foods are discarded?
When flesh food is discarded, Its place should be supplied with a variety of grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits, that will be both nourishing and appetizing. This is especially necessary in the case of those who are weak, or who are taxed with continuous labor the place of meat should be supplied with wholesome foods that are inexpensive. In this matter very much depends on the cook. The Ministry of Healing, 316:4.
Condiments
19. How should condiments be considered as articles of diet?
In this fast age, the less exciting the food, the better. Condiments are injurious in their nature. Mustard, pepper, spices, pickles, and other things of a like character, irritate the stomach and make the blood feverish and Impure. The inflamed condition of the drunkard’s stomach is often pictured as illustrating the effect of alcoholic liquors. A similarly inflamed condition is produced by the use of irritating condiments. Soon ordinary food does not satisfy the appetite. The system feels a want, a craving, for something more stimulating. The Ministry of Healing, 325:2.
20. What should be the governing influence in the selection of foods? 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Remember:
5. The eating of meat seems to be far more a matter of health than any other.
After the Flood the people ate largely of animal food. And He [God] permitted that long-lived race to eat animal food to shorten their sinful lives. Soon after the Flood the race began to rapidly decrease in size, and in length of years. Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4, 121:2.
We do not mark out any precise line to be followed in diet; but we do say that in countries where there are fruits, grains, and nuts in abundance, flesh food is not the right food for God’s people. I have been instructed that flesh food has a tendency to animalize the nature, to rob men and women of that love and sympathy which they should feel for everyone, and to give the lower passions control over the higher powers of the being. If meat eating was ever healthful, it is not safe now. Cancers, tumors, and pulmonary diseases are largely caused by meat eating.
We are not to make the use of flesh food a test of fellowship, but we should consider the influence that professed believers who use flesh foods have over others. As God’s messengers, shall we not say to the people: “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10: 31. Shall we not bear a decided testimony against the indulgence of perverted appetite? Will any who are ministers of the gospel, proclaiming the most solemn truth ever given to mortals, set an example in returning to the flesh pots of Egypt? Will those who are supported by the tithe from God’s storehouse permit themselves by self indulgence to poison the life-giving current flowing through their veins? Will they disregard the light and warnings that God has given them? The health of the body is to be regarded as essential for growth in grace and the acquirement of an even temper. If the stomach is not properly cared for, the formation of an upright, moral character will be hindered. The brain and nerves are in sympathy with the stomach. Erroneous eating and drinking result in erroneous thinking and acting. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, 159:2, 3.
Texts to Remember: Genesis 1: 29
Ecclesiastes 10: 17 Proverbs 23:21
1 Corinthians 10:31
Berkeley Translation of Matthew 6:25
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to thee, Give Me to drink; thou would have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. John 4:10.
In health and in sickness, pure water is one of heaven’s choicest blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the beverage which God provided to quench the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, it helps to supply the necessities of the system, and assists nature to resist disease. The Ministry of Heating, 237:1.
The Gift of God
In the East, water was called “the gift of God.” To offer a drink to the thirsty traveler was held to be a duty so sacred that the Arabs of the desert would go out of their way to perform it. The Desire of Ages, 183:4.
2. What was the first thing the children of Israel, en route to the Promised Land, clamored for? Exodus 15:23-27.
3. What is said of water as a necessity for man?
Next to the free air we breathe, water is man’s greatest earthly possession. The Encyclopedia Americana, 1941 ed., Volume 29, 41.
Man can abstain from food for many days without serious damage to his body, but he cannot be without water many hours without experiencing difficulty.
Water was appreciated by the ancient Semites more highly then by most other races on account of its scarcity in the lands that they inhabited. In the Arabian desert, their original home, it was obtainable only from the scanty springs that here and there broke through the and ground. In Canaan and the other lands adjacent to the desert there was rainfall, but it was so scanty and uncertain as to be a constant source of anxiety. It is not surprising, therefore, that water is mentioned in the Bible more frequently than any other substance. In Isaiah 3:1; 33:16 it is regarded as one of the chief supports of life. On account of its needfulness and its scarcity, water becomes in the Bible a figure of speech for all kinds of blessings, e.g., good news (Proverbs 25:25) and particularly for the divine grace (Psalm 23:2; Isaiah 32:2; 55:1; 58:11; John 7:38; Revelation 7:16; 21:6; 22:1,17). Jacobus, Nourse, and Zenos, A Standard Bible Dictionary, article, “Water.”
Nature Prepares Good Drinks
4. What other beverage is mentioned in the Bible as of frequent and profitable usage? Genesis 14: 18; Matthew 26:29; John 2:141; 1 Timothy 5:23.
The wine which Jesus provided for the feast, and that which He gave to the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the grape. To his the prophet Isaiah refers when he speaks of the new wine “in the cluster,” and says, “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it.” Isaiah 65:8. The Desire of Ages, 149:1
5. Name other fruit and vegetable juices we may obtain.
Apple, apricot, boysenberry, carrot, grapefruit, lemon, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, tangerine, tomato, and many others.
Besides providing liquid for the body, these juices contain vitamins and mineral salts that the body can use in its work of purification and repair. They are excellent as beverages for all types of individuals, and especially for the sick.
“Soft” and Habit Forming Drinks
6. Are the so-called “soft drinks” beneficial to health?
The so-called “soft drinks” are not as beneficial to health as those who use them would like to believe.
One year’s record reveals that in the United States alone over eighteen billion six-ounce bottles of sweetened carbonated beverages were sold. This was in addition to larger “family size” bottles. “Soda pop” contains much sugar and therefore Its evil effects on nutrition are largely those of the sugar. It is well known that the excessive use of refined sugars tends to cause dental decay, perverts the appetite so that nutritious foods are desired less, irritates the stomach, delays digestion, causes fermentation, and interferes with proper vitamin chemistry. The problem is especially serious with children since they are the greatest users of soda pop. California Health, August 15, 1948.
The only safe course is to touch not taste not, handle not. The tendency of tea, coffee, and similar drinks is in the same direction as that of alcoholic liquor and tobacco, and in some cases the habit is as difficult to break as it is for the drunkard to give up intoxicants. Those who attempt to leave off these stimulants will for a time feel a loss, and will suffer without them. But by persistence they will overcome the craving, and cease to feel the lack. Nature may require a little time to recover from the abuse she has suffered; but give her a chance, and she will again rally, and perform her work nobly and well. The Ministry of Healing, 355:4.
Stimulants and Narcotics
7. Does the Bible give any warnings or admonitions regarding alcoholic beverages?
8. In what kind of “works” is drunkenness classed in the Bible? Galatians 5:19-21.
9. What is the only safe and consistent course we can pursue regarding the use of stimulants and intoxicating liquors?
The only safe course is to touch not, taste not, handle not, tea, coffee, wines, tobacco, opium, and alcoholic drinks. The necessity for the men of this generation to call to their aid the power of the will strengthened by the grace of God, in order to withstand the temptations of Satan, and resist the least indulgence of perverted appetite is twice as great as it was several generations ago. The only perfectly safe course to pursue is to stand firmly on the side of temperance, and not venture in the path of danger. Counsels on Health, 125:1.
A narcotic is something that benumbs. Intoxicating liquors, opium, Indian hemp, morphine, tobacco, and other such substances properly come under this classification. The use of one prepares and predisposes a person to use the others. They are all useless, costly, pernicious habits, and should be banished from civilized society, at once, and from all other societies as fast as possible.
11. What can be said of the cost of the stimulants and narcotics used in the United States of America?
Remember:
Texts to Remember:
Proverbs 20:1 Habakkuk 2:15 Galatians 5:19-21 John 4: 10
Define or Identify:
Intoxicant Narcotic
Spirits
Stimulant Temperance
Berkeley Translation of Matthew 6:25
The Bible teaches modesty in dress. This forbids display in dress, gaudy colors, profuse ornamentation. Any device designed to attract attention to the wearer or to excite admiration is excluded from the modest apparel which God’s word enjoins. Our dress is to he inexpensive, not with “gold, or pearls, or costly array.” [1 Timothy 2:9] Money is a trust from God. It is not ours to expend for the gratification of pride or ambition. In the hands of God’s children it is food for the hungry and clothing for the naked
But our clothing, while modest and simple, should be of good quality, of becoming colors, and suited for service. It should be chosen for durability rather than display. It should provide warmth and proper protection. Our dress should be cleanly. Uncleanliness in dress is unhealthful, and thus defiling to the body and to the soul. In all respects the dress should be healthful. “Above all things,” God desires us to “be in health” [3 John 1:2] health of body and soul. And we are to he workers together with Him for the health of both soul and body. Both are promoted by healthful dress.
It [our dress] should have the grace, the beauty, the appropriateness of natural simplicity. Christ has warned us against the pride of life, but not against its grace and natural beauty. He pointed to the flowers of the field, to the lily unfolding in its purity, and said, “Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Matthew 6:29. Thus by the things of nature Christ illustrates the beauty that Heaven values, the modest grace, the simplicity, the purity, the appropriateness, that would make our attire pleasing to Him. Messages to Young People, 351:1 to 352:4.
“Dress” as Taught in the Bible
The atmosphere, once so mild and uniform in temperature, was now subject to marked changes, and the Lord mercifully provided them with a garment of skins as a protection from the extremes of heat and cold. Patriarchs and Prophets, 61:5.
3. Where is a description of the, apparel of some of the “daughters of Zion” against whom God pronounced punishment? Isaiah 3:16-26.
4. What kind of clothing did “virtuous woman” provide for her household? Proverbs 31:21. (In the margin of the King James Version, “scarlet” is translated “double clothing.”)
5. How, according to Paul’s teaching, should women dress? 1 Timothy 2:9.
6. What was Peter’s instruction regarding the manner of dressing? 1 Peter 3:3, 4.
The Inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit is priceless. In the life of the true Christian the outward adorning is always in harmony with the inward peace and holiness Self-denial and sacrifice will mark the Christian’s life. Evidence that the taste is converted will be seen in the dress of all who walk in the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord.
It is right to love beauty and to desire It; but God desires us to love and seek first the highest beauty, that which is Imperishable. No outward adorning can compare in value or loveliness with that “meek and quiet spirit,” the “fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14), which all the holy ones of earth will wear. This apparel will make them beautiful and beloved here, and will hereafter be their badge of admission to the palace of the King. His promise is, “They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4. The Acts of the Apostles, 523:2,3.
Practical Instructions
7. The spirit of prophecy gives practical suggestions on dress:
The Standard in All Things
8. What should be the aim in dress, as well as in other things? 1 Corinthians 10:31.
9. What has God promised about our clothing? Matthew 6:25-33.
Remember:
Texts to Remember: Genesis 3:21
1 Corinthians 10:31 1 Peter 3:3, 4
Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.
While we are seeking to refresh our spirits and invigorate our bodies, we are required of God to use all our powers at all times to the best purpose. We can, and should, conduct our recreations in such a manner that we shall be better fitted for the more successful discharge of the duties devolving upon us, and our influence will be more beneficial upon those with whom we associate. We can return from such occasions to our homes improved in mind and refreshed in body, and prepared to engage in the work anew with better hope and better courage.
We are of that class who believe that it is our privilege every day of our lives to glorify God upon the earth; that we are not to live in this world merely for our own amusement, merely to please ourselves. We are here to benefit humanity and to be a blessing to society. We cannot innocently indulge in any amusement which will unfit us for the more faithful discharge o£ ordinary duties.
Between the associations of the followers of Christ for Christian recreation and worldly gatherings for pleasure and amusement will exist a marked contrast. The natural mind leans toward pleasure and self -gratification. It is Satan’s policy to manufacture an abundance of this. He seeks to fill the minds of men with a desire for worldly amusement, that they may have no time to ask themselves the question, How is it with my soul? The love of pleasure is infectious. Given up to this, the mind hurries from one point to another, ever seeking for some amusement. Obedience to the law of God counteracts this inclination, and builds barriers against ungodliness. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 336:1 to 337:1.
We Belong to God
Not I, but Christ, be honored, loved, exalted;
Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known, be heard;
Not I, but Christ, in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ, In every thought and word.
-Fannie E. Bolton.
4. How are the children of God led? Romans 8:14; 9:6.
5. Why did Jesus say He had come, and how is the Christian life more abundant? John 10:10.
The only individual in all the world who is genuinely happy is the true Christian, for nothing else can bring into the life the measure of happiness that follows the surrendering of the heart to God and victory over sin. Recreational Plans for Missionary Volunteers, 13: 1.
Benefits of Recreation
6. What are some of the benefits of a proper recreational program?
7. What is one of the best forms of recreation, especially for older boys and girls and young people? Outdoor exercise, especially in useful labor, is one of the best means of recreation for body and mind; and
the teacher’s example will inspire his pupils with interest in and respect for manual labor. Education, 278:2.
The health cannot be preserved unless some portion of each day is given to muscular exertion in the open air. Stated hours should be devoted to manual labor of some kind, anything which will call into action all parts of the body. Equalize the taxation of the mental and physical powers, and the mind of the student will be refreshed. Fundamentals of Christian Education, 146:3.
8. What is one factor in making recreation beneficial?
No recreation helpful only to themselves will prove so great a blessing to the children and youth as that which makes them helpful to others. Naturally enthusiastic and impressible, the young are quick to respond to suggestion. In planning for the culture of plants, let the teacher seek to awaken an interest in beautifying the school grounds and the schoolroom. A double benefit will result. That which the pupils seek to beautify they will be unwilling to have marred or defaced. A refined taste, a love of order, and a habit of care-taking will be encouraged; and the spirit of fellowship and co-operation developed will prove to the pupils a lifelong blessing.
No also a new interest may be given to the work of the garden or the excursion in field or wood, as the pupils are encouraged to-remember those shut in from these pleasant places, and to share with them the beautiful things of nature. Education, 212:2 to 213:1.
9. What constitutes a “good time”?
A good time is not difficult to define. The rule for it is: Doing in the best possible manner what one ought to do when it ought to be done. This Important rule should always be kept in mind. It means that If the work is finished and the out-of-doors calls, the games or other recreation chosen should challenge one’s skill and thus build up physical fitness, mental alertness, and spiritual discernment. It means that all recreation should have a purpose, should actually re-create, making us stronger, happier, more eager to play a fair game in life, and should give us those helpful and inspiring contacts so necessary to the social instincts and mental growth.
The right kind of play or fun sends us back more ready for work than ever. The kind of so-called good times which rob us of our sleep, make us irritable, lead us to do things which violate sound principles or lower our ideals of life, are not good times at all. Recreational Plans for Missionary Volunteers, 10:1,2.
Profitable Entertainment
10. What are some of the things Christian young people may do and still feel they are in God’s way of
doing?
Music, someone has said, is the fourth need of man: food, clothing, shelter-then music.
e. Reading and lectures.
The reading of good books is a habit everyone should cultivate. One of the last things Ellen G. White wrote
for publication was that proper reading should be selected for our young people, and that, if her life were spared for further work, she would be glad to help in preparing books for the young. (See Review and Herald, April 15, 1915.) The Missionary Volunteer Department offers a wonderful reading course each year for those of the primary age, those of the junior age, and those of the older youth age.
f. Motion pictures on travel, invention, science, education, current events, and some others; but great care should be taken as to the kinds of moving pictures and places where they are shown.
11. What are some of the questions young people should ask regarding their recreational activities?
If one’s recreational and social pursuits permit him conscientiously to answer these and kindred questions in the affirmative, he can rest assured that he is following the course approved by his heavenly Father. Recreational Plans for Missionary Volunteers, 21:5 to 22:6.
Remember:
Texts to Remember: Romans 8:14
Galatians 2:20
1 Corinthians 10:31 1 Thessalonians 5:23
And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23, 24.
With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Savior might he carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come, the end of suffering and sorrow and sin! How soon, in place of a possession here, with its blight of sin and pain, our children might receive their inheritance where “the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever;” where “the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick,” and “the voice of weeping shall be no more heard.” Psalm 37:29; Isaiah 33:24; 65:19. Education, 271:2.
What God Desires
God’s purpose for the children growing up beside our hearths is wider, deeper, higher, than our restricted
vision has comprehended. From the humblest lot those whom He has seen faithful have in time past been called to witness for Him in the world’s highest places. And many a lad of today, growing up as did Daniel in his Judean home, studying God’s word and His works, and learning the lessons of faithful service, will yet stand in legislative assemblies, in halls of justice, or in royal courts, as a witness for the King of kings. Multitudes will be called to a wider ministry. Millions upon millions have never so much as heard of God or of His love revealed in Christ. It is their right to receive this knowledge. They have an equal claim with us in the Savior’s mercy. And it rests with us who have received the knowledge, with our children to whom we may impart it, to answer their cry. To every household and every school, to every parent, teacher, and child upon whom has shone the light of the gospel, comes at this crisis the question put to Esther the queen at that momentous crisis in Israel’s history. “Who knows whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14. Education, 262:2.
4. Give examples of young people in Bible times who have stood for God and given testimony to His love and mercy:
5. How old were some of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination when they began work in God’s cause?
l. A. G. Daniells entered the ministry at 22.
The church may inquire whether young men can be entrusted with the grave responsibilities involved in the
establishing and superintending of a foreign mission. I answer, God designed that they should be so trained in our colleges and by association in labor with men of experience that they would be prepared for departments of usefulness in this cause. We must manifest confidence in our young men. They should be pioneers in every enterprise involving toil and sacrifice, while the overtaxed servants of Christ should be cherished as counselors, to encourage and bless those who strike the heaviest blows for God. Providence thrust these experienced fathers into trying, responsible positions at an early age, when neither physical nor intellectual powers were fully developed. The magnitude of the trust committed to them aroused their energies, and their active labor in the work aided both physical and mental development. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 516:2.
Getting an Education
6. How may we be educated for God? 2 Timothy 2:15.
The Lord desires us to obtain all the education possible, with the object in view of imparting our knowledge to others. None can know where or how they may be called to labor or to speak for God. Our heavenly Father alone sees what He can make of men. There are before us possibilities which our feeble faith does not discern. Our minds should be so trained that if necessary we can present the truths of His word before the highest earthly authorities in such a way as to glorify His name. We should not let slip even one opportunity of qualifying ourselves intellectually to work for God.
Let the youth who need an education set to work with a determination to obtain it. Do not wait for an opening; make one for yourselves. Take hold in any small way that presents itself. Practice economy. Do not spend your means for the gratification of appetite, or in pleasure seeking. Be determined to become as useful and efficient as God calls you to be. Be thorough and faithful in whatever you undertake. Procure every advantage within your reach for strengthening the intellect. Christ’s Object Lessons, 333:4 to 334:1.
7. How high may a boy or girl aspire to climb?
Balanced by religious principle, you may climb to any height you please. Fundamentals of Christian Education, 83:1.
It is right that you should feel that you must climb to the highest round of the educational ladder-Fundamentals of Christian Education, 192: 0.
Dear youth, what is the aim and purpose of your life? Are you ambitious for education that you may have a name and position in the world? Have you thoughts that you dare not express, that you may one day stand upon the summit of intellectual greatness; that you may sit in deliberative and legislative councils, and help to enact laws for the nation? There is nothing wrong in these aspirations. You may every one of you make your mark. You should be content with no mean attainments. Aim high, and spare no pains to reach the standard. Fundamentals of Christian Education, 82:2.
8 How high is God’s ideal for His children?
Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s Ideal for His children. Godliness-god likeness is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. Education, 18:1
A Place in God’s Work
Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God. Christ’s Object Lessons, 326:4.
12. Whom should we remember when choosing a vocation? Ecclesiastes 12:1, first part.
13. How should we go about choosing our lifework?
We need to follow more closely God’s plan of life. To do our best in the work that lies nearest, to commit our ways to God, and to watch for the indications of His providence-these are rules that ensure safe guidance in the choice of an occupation. Education, 267:1
14. What rewards are given for faithful service in God’s cause now and in the future?”
Remember:
Texts to Remember: Ecclesiastes 12:1 Acts 9:15
Colossians 3:23, 24
Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17.
The greatest praise that men can bring to God is to become consecrated channels through whom He can work. Time is rapidly passing into eternity. Let us not keep back from God that which is His own. Let us not refuse Him that which, though it cannot be given without merit, cannot be denied without ruin. He asks for a whole heart; give it to Him; it is His, both by creation and by redemption. He asks for your intellect; give it to Him; it is His. He asks for your money; give it to Him; it is His’ “You are not your own; for you are bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20. God requires the homage of a sanctified soul, which has prepared itself, by the exercise of the faith that works by love, to serve Him. He holds up before us the highest ideal, even perfection. He asks us to be absolutely and completely for Him in this world as He is for us in the presence of God. God demands of you entire conformity to His law. The Acts of the Apostles, 566:1.
The Temple of the Holy Ghost
What You Are to Eat
In order to know what are the best foods, we must study God’s original plan for man’s diet. He who created man and who understands his needs appointed Adam his food. The Ministry of Healing, 295:3.
2. What constitutes the dietary, God chose for man in the beginning and which is still good for us? Genesis 1:29; 3:18.
Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. The Ministry of Healing, 296:1.
3. What are the “basic seven”? See note under No. 8 of the lesson “What You Are to Eat,” and also “Our Daily Foods Needs” chart.
What You Are to Drink
What You Are to Wear
1. What are seven essentials in choosing our clothing?.
Where You Are to Go
What You Are to Do
a. In our choice of a life occupation, who should be remembered? Ecclesiastes 12: 1.
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
Christians are in the world as ambassadors for God; it is their business to represent the character, the will, and the power of Jesus Christ. By their actions, their words, their principles, they are to win men for Christ and make them citizens of the kingdom of God. In that work Christian parents have their first duty and their supreme opportunity in the persons of their children. Receiving these children from the hand of God-innocent, impressionable, confiding-parents have the opportunity to stamp upon them the image of God in character and life. The headquarters of their mission is the home. The Christian home is an embassy of God
The influence of a true Christian home upon the community, upon the world, is incalculable. The home makes society; it holds the destiny of the world in its hands. If every home were Christian, the world would be won to Christ.
Call the roll of the heroes of faith through all the ages reformers, prophets, martyrs, missionaries, ministers to their fellow men-and you will find the beginning of their power in childhood homes where godly parents taught them to reverence and obey. Arthur W. Spalding, Makers of the Home, 262:1-3.
“And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:23, 24.
Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14.
Messages to Young People, 433-466
Those professing to he Christians should not enter the marriage relation until the matter has been carefully and prayerfully considered from an elevated standpoint to see if God can he glorified by the union. Then they should duly consider the result of every privilege of the marriage relation, and sanctified principle should be the basis of every action. Before increasing their family, they should take into consideration whether God would be glorified or dishonored by their bringing children into the world. They should seek to glorify God by their union from the first, and during every year of their married life. They should calmly consider what provision can be made for their children. They have no right to bring children into the world to he a burden to others. Testimonies, Volume 2, 380:2.
Why Marry?
1. What advantage did God see in providing a wife for Adam? Genesis 2:18, 21-24.
God celebrated the first marriage.
Thus the institution has for Its originator the Creator of the universe When the divine principles are recognized and obeyed in this relation, marriage is a blessing; It guards the purity and happiness of the race, It provides for man’s social needs, It elevates the physical, the intellectual, and the moral nature. Patriarchs and Prophets, 46:3.
2. How does the Bible describe an ideal wife? Proverbs 31:10-31.
Happiness or Shadows
3. What is the difference between infatuation and love? 1 Corinthians 13. Infatuation
4. Genuine love is:
e. True love in a high and holy principle, altogether different in character from that love which is awakened by Impulse, and which suddenly dies when severely tested-Messages to Young People, 466:2.
5. What great decision do youth make which determines their future happiness? Deuteronomy 7:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.
Unless you would have a home where the shadows are never lifted, do not unite yourself with one who is an enemy of God. Testimonies, Volume 5, 363:0.
6. Examples of marrying “in” and “out” of the truth:
a. Isaac-Genesis 24.
b. Jacob. Genesis 29.
a. Samson-Judges 14; 15; 16.
b. Solomon-1 Kings 11:1-13.
c. Ahab-1 Kings 16:29-34.
Religion is needed in the home. Only this can prevent the grievous wrongs which so often embitter married life. Only where Christ reigns, can there be deep, true, unselfish love. Then soul will be knit with soul, and the two lives will blend in harmony. Angels of God will be guests in the home, and their holy vigils will hallow the marriage chamber. Debasing sensuality will be banished. Upward to God will the thoughts be directed; to Him will the heart’s devotion ascend-Messages to Young People, 440:1.
7. What vital questions should be answered before marriage?
Before giving her hand in marriage, every woman should inquire whether he with whom she is about to unite her destiny is worthy. What has been his past record? Is his life pure? Is the love which he expresses of a noble, elevated character, or is it a mere emotional fondness? Has he the traits of character that will make her happy? Can she find true peace and joy in his affection? Will she be allowed to preserve her individuality, or must her judgment and conscience be surrendered to the control of her husband? Messages, to Young People, 439:1
8. How much should the young couple have in common? Amos 3:3; Matthew 18:19.
A couple should have common interests. Leisure-time preferences should have some agreement. If both enjoy home activities, there will be fewer distressing situations arising. If one loves to be at home and the other wants to be on the go continuously, there may be many troubles ahead. The highest chance for happiness in marriage is with those couples who equally enjoy home activities. Similarity of interest in music and recreation tends to unite the couple more closely together. Arthur L. Bletz, “Preparing for Marriage,” Review and Herald, Aug. 2,1951
Marriage Vow
9. How sacred is the marriage vow?
The family tie is the closest, the most tender and sacred, of any on earth. The Ministry of Healing, 356:4.
10. How binding is it? Matthew 19:3-6, 9.
Ten Rules for a Happy Marriage
Bear and forbear.
Work together, play together, grow together.
Avoid little quarrels-the big ones will take care of themselves.
Compromise. It is the antitoxin which destroys the poison of divorce.
Practice sympathy, good humor, and mutual understanding.
Don’t grouch before breakfast nor after it.
Respect your “in-laws,” but don’t give them criticism or take it from them.
Establish your own home, even in a one-room flat.
Fight for each other, but not with each other.
Build your home on religious faith, and never let a day close without a clean slate of forgiveness. Judge Joseph, “What 20,000 Divorces have taught me.” Rotary, November 1948, page 10.
“Home, Sweet Home”
Texts to Remember: Amos 3:3
Matthew 19:9
2 Corinthians 6:14, 15
Define or Identify: Infatuation
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. Ecclesiastes 4:13.
While the children and youth gain a knowledge of facts from teachers and textbooks, let them learn to draw lessons and discern truth for themselves. He alone who recognizes in nature his Father’s handiwork, who in the richness and beauty of the earth reads the Father’s handwriting-he alone learns from the things of nature; their deepest lessons, and receives their highest Ministry. Only he can fully appreciate the significance of hill and vale, river and sea, who looks upon these as an expression of the thought of God, a revelation of the Creator. Education. 119:2-3.
Responsibility of Children
There are many children who profess to know the truth, who do not render to their parents the honor and affection that are due to them, who manifest but little love to father and mother, and fail to honor them in deferring to their wishes, or in seeking to relieve them of anxiety. Many who profess to be Christians do not know what it means to “honor thy father and thy mother,” and consequently will know just as little what it means, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives thee.” [Exodus 20:12]
Those who do not respect and love their parents will not respect and honor God. Messages to Young people, 331:2,3.
4. What counsel is given to wayward youth who have not loved and respected their parents as they should?
If you have sinned in not rendering love and obedience to them [your parents], begin now to redeem the past. You cannot afford to take any other course; for it means to you the loss of eternal life. The Heart. Searcher knows what is your attitude toward your parents; for He is weighing moral character in the golden scales of the heavenly sanctuary. Oh confess your neglect of your parents, confess your indifference toward them, and your contempt of God’s holy commandment.
Many fathers and mothers have gone down brokenhearted to the grave because of the ingratitude, the lack of respect, shown them by their children. Messages to Young People, 332:2, 3.
5. How shall we develop a sense of responsibility? Lamentations 3:27.
The young are naturally inclined to feel that not much responsibility, care taking, or burden bearing is expected of them. But upon every one rests the obligation to reach the Bible standard. The light that shines forth in privilege and opportunities, in the ministry of the word, in counsels, warnings, and reproofs, will perfect character, or will condemn the careless. This light is to be cherished by the young as well as by those who are older. Who will now take their stand for God, determined to give His service the first place in their lives? Who will be burden bearers? Messages to Young People, 368:4.
6. What sign of the last days relates to youth? 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Wise Counsel to Youth
7. What counsel did the “wise man” give youth?
8. Against what does God warn us, lest we be deceived’ Galatians 6:7, 8.
The habits formed in childhood and youth have more influence than any natural endowment in making men
and women intellectually great or dwarfed and crippled; for the very best talents may, through wrong habits, become warped and enfeebled. To a great extent the character is determined in early years. Correct, virtuous habits formed in youth will generally mark the course of the individual through life. In most cases those who reverence God and honor the right will be found to have learned this lesson before the world could stamp its images of sin upon the soul. Men and women of mature age are generally as insensible to new impressions as is the hardened rock; but youth is impressible, and a right character may then be easily formed. Testimonies, Volume 4, 574:3.
Home, Sweet Home:
Texts to Remember:
Exodus 20:12
Galatians 6:7, 8
Colossians 3:20
Ecclesiastes 4:13
Ephesians 6:1
Train up a child in the way be should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6.
Fathers and mothers who make God first in their households, who teach their children that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, glorify God before angels and before men by presenting to the world a well-ordered, well-disciplined family, a family that love and obey God, instead of rebelling against Him. Christ is not a stranger in their homes; His name is a household name, revered and glorified. Angels delight in a home where God reigns supreme, and the children are taught to reverence religion, the Bible, and their Creator. Such families can claim the promise. “Them that honor Me I will honor.” [1 Samuel 2:30.] As from such a home the father goes forth to his daily duties, it is with a spirit softened and subdued by converse with God. He is a Christian, not only in his profession, but in trade, in all his business relations. Me does his work with fidelity, knowing that the eye of God a upon him.” Testimonies, Volume 3, 424:2.
Man’s First Home
That home, beautified by the hand of God Himself, was not a gorgeous palace God placed Adam in a garden. This was his dwelling. The blue heavens were its dome; the earth, with its delicate flowers and carpet of living green, was its floor; and the leafy branches of the goodly trees were its canopy. Its walls were hung with the most magnificent adorning-the handiwork of the great Master Artist. Patriarchs and Prophets, 49:3.
2. Of what was this first home to be a pattern? Genesis 2:15.
The home of our first parents was to be a pattern for other homes as their children should go forth to occupy the earth. Patriarchs and Prophets, 49:3.
3. What was God’s original plan for the earth? Genesis 1: 28; Isaiah 45:18.
The Responsibility of Parents
4. What tender relationship should exist between husbands and wives? Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:25.
5. What are children declared to be? Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 17:6.
Great is the honor and the responsibility placed upon fathers and mothers, in that they are to stand in the place of God to their children. Happy are the parents whose lives are a true reflection of the divine, so that the promises and commands of God awaken in the child gratitude and reverence. Parents who impart to a child such a gift have endowed him with a treasure more precious than the wealth of all the ages-a treasure as enduring as eternity. The Ministry of Healing, 375:2, 3.
6. What blessings should children bring to a home?
Discipline in the Home
7. What solemn responsibility rests upon parents? Proverbs 22:6.
This language [Proverbs 22:6] is positive. The training that Solomon enjoins is to direct, educate, develop. But in order f or parents to do this work, they must themselves understand the “way” the child should go. It is Impossible for parents to give their children proper training unless they first give themselves to God, learning of the Great Teacher lessons of obedience to His will. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 108:1.
8. What should be the basic principle in child training? Psalm 111:10; Ephesians 6:4.
By some, education is placed next to religion, but true education is religion. The Bible should be the child’s first textbook. From this book, parents are to give wise instruction. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 108:1
9. What constitutes the most powerful aid to the spiritual education of the child? Genesis 12:8.
The family altar. Abraham, “the friend of God” [James 2:23], set us a worthy example. Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside it was set up his altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and the evening sacrifice. When his tent was removed, the altar remained. Patriarchs and Prophets, 128:1.
10. In what should parents instruct their children?
11. What should accompany parental instruction?
Upon them [the parents] depends in a great measure the well-being of their children in this world, and their happiness in the world to come. To a great extent they determine both the physical and the moral stamp that the little ones receive. The Ministry of Healing, 357:1.
12. Give two examples from the Old Testament where one fulfilled his parental responsibilities and the other failed in his.
13. What further principle should be borne in mind in training young People? Lamentations 3:27.
14. Of all parental virtues, what are the most essential? Proverbs 31:26.
Live in the sunshine of the Savior’s love. Then your influence will bless the world. Let the Spirit of Christ control you. Let the law of kindness be ever on your lips. Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and actions of those who are born again, to live the new life in Christ. Testimonies, Volume 7, 50:1.
15. In the judgment, what question will be asked of parents? Jeremiah 13:20, last part.
Parents who have neglected their God-given responsibilities must meet that neglect in the judgment. The Lord will then inquire: “Where are the children that I gave you to train for Me? Why are they not at My right hand?” Many parents will then see that unwise love blinded their eyes to their children’s faults and left those children to develop deformed characters, unfit for heaven. Others will see that they did not give their children time and attention, love and tenderness; their own neglect of duty made the children what they are. Testimonies, Volume 4,424:1.
Home, Sweet Home:
Texts to Remember:
Genesis 2:15
Proverbs 31:26
Colossians 3:18-20
Proverbs 22:6
Isaiah 45:18
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:23, 24.
Above all things, parents should surround their children with an atmosphere of cheerfulness, courtesy, and love. A home where love dwells and where it finds expression in looks, in words, in acts, is a place where angels delight to dwell. Parents, let the sunshine of love, cheer and happy content enter your own hearts, and let its sweet influence pervade the home. Manifest a kindly, forbearing spirit, and encourage the same in your children, cultivating all those graces that will brighten the home life. The atmosphere thus created will be to the children what air and sunshine are to the vegetable world, promoting health and vigor of mind and body. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 115:1.
Marriage and the Home
Children in the Home
Home-Heaven on Earth
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
The divine principle of tithes and offerings for the support of the gospel is an acknowledgment of God’s ownership in our lives, and that we are stewards who must render account to Him of all that He has committed to our, possession. Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 23:23; 1 Corinthians 9:9-14; 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15.
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. He is the minister of God to thee for good. He bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenge to execute wrath upon him that does evil.” Romans 13:1-4.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11: 5.
The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of bell have not been able to prevail against His people. The Acts of the Apostles, 11:2.
Worship in the Days of the Patriarchs
The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching angels hither came Adam and his sons to worship God. Here they renewed their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished them from Eden. Patriarchs and Prophets, 62:2.
3. What did Abraham build wherever he pitched his tent?
Abraham, “the friend of God,” set us a worthy example. His was a life of prayer. Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside it was set up his altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and the evening sacrifice.
When his tent was removed, the altar remained. In following years, there were those among the roving Canaanites who received instruction from Abraham. And whenever one of these came to that altar, he knew who had been there before him; and when he had pitched his tent, he repaired the altar, and there worshiped the living God. Patriarchs and Prophets, 128:1.
God spoke to Israel in olden days, and today He speaks to us by the voice of conscience.
He [Jesus] declared that they had rejected the word of God, inasmuch as they had rejected Him....
In every page, whether history, or precept, or prophecy, the Old Testament Scriptures are irradiated with
the glory of the Son of God. So far as it was of divine institution, the entire system of Judaism was a compacted prophecy of the gospel. To Christ “give all the prophets witness.” Acts 10:43. From the promise given to Adam, down through the patriarchal line and the legal economy, heaven’s glorious light made plain the footsteps of the Redeemer. Seers beheld the Star of Bethlehem, the Shiloh to come, as future things swept before them in mysterious procession. In every sacrifice Christ’s death was shown. In every cloud of incense His righteousness ascended. By every jubilee trumpet His name was sounded. In the awful mystery of the holy of holies His glory dwelt. The Desire of Ages, 211:4, 5.
“The Church in the Wilderness”
5. Who is said to have been in “the church in the wilderness”? Acts 7:37, 38.
6. When, and by what event, was Israel made a church and a nation? Exodus 19:20.
Soon after the encampment at Sinai, Moses was called up into the mountain to meet with God. Alone he climbed the steep and rugged path, and drew near to the cloud that marked the place of Jehovah’s presence. Israel was now to be taken into a close and peculiar relation to the Most High-to be incorporated as a church and a nation under the government of God.
Moses returned to the camp, and having summoned the elders of Israel, he repeated to them the divine message. Their answer was, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” Thus they entered into a solemn covenant with God, pledging themselves to accept Him as their ruler, by which they became, in a special sense, the subjects of His authority. Patriarchs and Prophets, 303:1, 3.
7. What is said concerning the Rock from which water gushed in the desert to quench the thirst of the Israelites? 1 Corinthians 10:4.
8. Who, then, led the children of Israel out of Egypt, guiding them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, speaking from Sinai’s lofty height the law of God, and giving them bread from heaven and water to drink? Nehemiah 9:9-15.
9. How careful was God in all the details of the encampment of His “church in the wilderness”?
The government of Israel was characterized by the most thorough organization, wonderful alike for Its completeness and Its simplicity. The order so strikingly displayed in the perfection and arrangement of all God’s created works was manifest in the Hebrew economy. God was the center of authority and government, the sovereign of Israel. Moses stood as their visible leader, by God’s appointment, to administer the laws in His name. From the elders of the tribes a council of seventy was afterward chosen to assist Moses in the general affairs of the nation. Next came the priests, who consulted the Lord in the sanctuary. Chiefs, or princes, ruled over the tribes. Under these were “captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens;” and, lastly, officers who might be employed for special duties.
The Hebrew camp was arranged in exact order. It was separated into three great divisions, each having its appointed position in the encampment. In the center was the tabernacle, the abiding place of the
Invisible King. Around it were stationed the priests and Levites. Beyond these were encamped all the other tribes. Patriarchs and Prophets, 374:2, 3.
10. Who was represented by the serpent lifted up on the cross in the wilderness? Numbers 21:7-9; John 3:14, 15.
The lifting up of the brazen serpent was. to teach Israel an important lesson. They could not save themselves from the fatal effect of the poison in their wounds. God alone was able to heal them. Yet they were required to show their faith in the provision which He had made. They must look, in order to live. It was their faith that was acceptable with God, and by looking upon the serpent their faith was shown. They knew that there was no virtue in the serpent Itself, but it was a symbol of Christ; and the necessity of faith in His merits was thus presented to, their minds. Heretofore many had brought their offerings to God, and had felt that in so doing they made ample atonement for their sins. They did not rely upon the Redeemer to come of whom these offerings were only a type. The Lord would now teach them that their sacrifices, in themselves, had no more power or virtue than the serpent of brass, but were, like that, to lead their minds to Christ, the great sin offering. Patriarchs and Prophets, 430:1
Christ in the Old Testament
11. Jesus has always been.
12. In whom only in all times has there been salvation? Acts 4:12. Remission of sins in Old Testament times as well as now has been possible only through the merits of Christ.
13. In all ages, salvation has come only through faith in Jesus. Genesis 15:6; Jeremiah 23:6.
In all these revelations of the divine presence, the glory of God was manifested through Christ- Not alone at the Savior’s advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents, there has been no direct communication between God and man. The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through. His mediation work He may redeem man, and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God. All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses understood the gospel. They looked for salvation through man’s Substitute and Surety. These holy men of old held communion with the Savior who was to come to our world in human flesh; and some of them talked with Christ and heavenly angels face to face. Patriarchs and Prophets, 366:1.
The Gospel in the Old Testament
14. To whom does Paul say the gospel was preached? Hebrews 4:2, first part.
15. Why did it not profit Israel of old? Hebrews 4:2, last part.
The marginal reading of the verse is, “But the word of hearing did not profit them, because they were not united by faith to it.”
16. What is the gospel spoken of by Paul in Hebrews 4:2? Romans 1:16?
17. What is revealed through the gospel? Romans 1:17.
18. The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel. Compare the gospel in the Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament is as verily the gospel in types and shadows as the New Testament is in its unfolding power. The New Testament does not present a new religion; the Old Testament does not present a religion to be superseded by the New. The New Testament is only the advancement and unfolding of the Old. Abel was a believer in Christ, and was as verily saved by His power as was Peter or Paul. That God who walked with Enoch was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was the Light of the world then just as He is now. Testimonies, Volume 6, 392:1,2.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
1. The word “church” has several meanings:
Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion. There are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time. The time will come when those who love God supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as are “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” [2 Timothy 3:5,5] The Great Controversy, 390:1.
Texts to Remember:
Genesis 15:6
John 1: 1-3
Hebrews 11: 5
Jeremiah 23:6
Acts 4:12
Define or Identify:
Indicate Remission
“Tenets of faith”
Merit
Salvation Translation
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12.
Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counter work His work that He has not foreseen. All has taken place as He predicted. He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell has been brought about. All His purposes will be fulfilled. His law is linked with His throne, and no power of evil can destroy it. Truth is inspired and guarded by God; and it will triumph over all opposition.
During ages of spiritual darkness, the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.
God’s Church is the court of holy life filled with varied gifts, and endowed with the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Apostles, 11:3; 12:1,2.
The New Testament Church
His representative on earth. No costly sanctuary was at their command, but the Savior led His disciples to the retreat He loved, and in their minds the sacred experiences of that day were forever linked with the beauty of mountain and vale and sea.
Jesus had called His disciples that He might send them forth as His witnesses, to declare to the world what they had seen and heard of Him. Their office was the most important to which human beings had ever been called, and was second only to that of Christ Himself. They were to be workers together with God for the saving of the world. As in the Old Testament the twelve patriarchs stand as representatives of Israel, so the twelve apostles were to stand as representatives of the gospel church. The Desire of Ages, 291:2,3.
The Foundation Of the Church
4. Upon whom is the Christian church built? Matthew16:16,18.
“Other foundation can no maxi lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11. “Upon this rock,” said Jesus, “I will build My church.” In the presence of God, and all the heavenly intelligences, in the presence of the unseen army of hell, Christ founded His church upon the living Rock. That Rock is Himself, is own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail. The Desire of Ages, 413:2.
5. What did Peter write about the foundation of the church? 1 Peter 2:4-8.
6. What did Paul say concerning the foundation of the church? Ephesians 2:19-21.
The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages. To this foundation they brought the
stones that they quarried from the world. Not without hindrance did the builders labor. Their work was made exceedingly difficult by the opposition of the enemies of Christ. They had to contend against the bigotry, prejudice, and hatred of those who were building upon a false foundation. Many who wrought as builders of the church could be likened to the builders of the wall in Nehemiah’s day, of whom it is written. “They which built on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” Nehemiah 4:17. The Acts of the Apostles, 596:3.
7. Has any other foundation for the true church ever been laid? 1 Corinthians 3:11.
8. Who do the Scriptures teach is the head of the church? Ephesians 1:20-22; 5:23.
“The head of every man is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:3. God, who put all things under the Savior’s feet, “gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:22,23. The church is built upon Christ as Its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its head. It is not to depend upon man, or be controlled by man. Many claim that a position of trust in the church gives them authority to dictate what other men shall believe and what they shall do. This claim God does not sanction. The Savior declares, “All you are brethren.” [Matthew 23:8] All are exposed to temptation, and are liable to error. Upon no finite being can we depend for guidance. The Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church. The Desire of Ages, 414:3.
Instead of appointing one to be their head, Christ said to the disciples, “Be not you called Rabbi;” “neither be you called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” Matthew 23:8,10. The Desire of Ages, 414:2.
Church Officers
9. Who were the officers of the church?
In the New Testament the word occurs first in the exhortation of Paul to the elders (margin, presbyters) of the church at Ephesus, when he said, “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops [margin, overseers]” Acts 20:17, 28 [RV] Here and elsewhere Paul identifies elders, presbyters, and bishops. Titus 1:5-7. The terms are different designations for the incumbent of the same office. The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, article, “Bishop,” 76.
c. Deacon. 1 Timothy 3:842.
d. Ministers. 1 Corinthians 4:1.
e. Overseers. Acts 20:28.
10. What objection is there to the title “Reverend”? Psalm 111:9.
If Christ were on earth today, surrounded by those who bear the title of “Reverend” or “Right Reverend,” would He not repeat His saying, “Neither be you called masters: for One is your Master, even Christ?” [Matthew 23:10] The Scripture declares of God, “Holy and reverend is His name.” Psalm 111:9. To what human being is such a title befitting? The Desire of Ages, 613:3.
11. How does Paul describe the church that is to be presented to Christ? Ephesians 5:25-27.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
1. Speaking of Peter’s confession of faith, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus said, “Upon this Rock I will build My church.” Matthew 16:16, 18.
Texts to Remember: 1 Corinthians 3: 11 1 Corinthians 12:12 Ephesians 2:20
Define or Identify:
Espoused
“The living Rock”
Providence
Vigilant
“The Chief Cornerstone”
Virtuous
98. THE REMNANT CHURCH
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.
Today the remnant people of God are to glorify His name by proclaiming the last message of warning, the last invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The only way in which they can fulfill God’s expectations is by being representatives of the truth for this time. Testimonies, Volume 8, 153:2.
The Remnant Church 1. What is a “remnant”?
Webster defines a remnant to be “M Residue; remainder. (2) A small fragment; a surviving trace Remaining, yet left.”
The last church, what is left at the end of time of God’s church on earth.
3. This word has been used throughout the Bible signifying the remaining part:
The word “remnant” is used eighty-two times in the Bible in much the same sense as the texts cited above. It was used to denote the remaining part of anything or of any people. God’s lost message is being sped to all the earth by modern methods of communication.
4. Early in the life of the Seventh day Adventist Church it became known as “the remnant church.” Early Writings, one of the first publications put out by this denomination, uses the term at least twelve times, referring to the people whom God is preparing for the final scenes of this world’s history.
Identifying the Remnant
5. There are four points by which the remnant church is identified:
Notice particularly the words, “and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In other words, it takes both commandment keeping and the gift of prophecy to constitute the remnant church. One without the other would be only half truth.
The commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus are united. They are to be clearly presented to the world. Testimonies, Volume 8, 117:1.
c. The message is preached at the right time. (See lesson 62, on the 2300-day prophecy.)
d. It is “the everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:13), and Jesus declared “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” Matthew 24:14.
The Gospel as Presented by the Remnant Church
6. The gospel as presented by the remnant church is the same gospel that has been known and preached in ages past.
Preached by Remnant Church And Known Through the Ages
a. The law of God is eternal and was observed
b. The seventh day is the Sabbath. Exodus 20:8-11.
c. Jesus will come the second time. John 14:1-3. (1)Enoch. Jude 14, 15.
d. Man is mortal and sleeps unconsciously in death. Ecclesiastes 9:4-6.
e. Sinful man is saved by grace and faith in Christ. Ephesians 2:5-10.
f. Financing the gospel program by “tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8, 10.
g. Health to be as carefully guarded as the character. 3 John 2.
I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble, must reflect the image of Jesus fully. Early Writings, 71:1.
8. How successful will the remnant church be in achieving the Lord’s objective? Revelation 7:1317; 15:2, 3.
Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin. The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard. Angels are amazed as they behold the transformation of character brought about in those who yield themselves to God. They see them becoming prepared by a Christ like experience to suffer with their Lord, and afterward to be partakers with Him in His glory in heaven above. Testimonies to Ministers, 49:1.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
Texts to Remember: Jeremiah 6:16
Revelation 19: 10 Revelation 12:17 Revelation 22:14
Define or Identify:
Dispensation Remnant
“The dragon”
Tradition
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand: for thou knows not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11: 6.
The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall he reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest ... the final and full display of the love of God.-The Acts of the Apostles, 9:1.
The Great Commission
In order to destroy sin and Its results He gave His best Beloved, and He has put it in our power, through cooperation with Him, to bring this scene of misery to an end. Not that all are called to be ministers or missionaries in the ordinary sense of the term; but all may be workers with Him in giving the “glad tidings” [Luke 2:10, New Testament according to the Eastern Text] to their fellow men. To all, great or small, learned or Ignorant, old or young, the command is given. Education, 264:0,1.
3. What is this gospel that we are asked to preach? Romans 1:16. “It is the power of God unto salvation-to everyone that believes.”
4. How were we reconciled to God, and what has been committed to us as ambassadors for God? 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19.
Christ was the medium through which He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. God suffered with His Son. Steps to Christ, 15:1. The soldiers of Christ have their marching order: “Go and teach all nations” the gospel.
Ambassadors of Heaven
5. What are those who accept this responsibility called? 2 Corinthians 5:20.
An ambassador is “a minister of the highest rank accredited to a foreign, government or sovereign as the official representative of his own government or sovereign.” Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
6. What are the genuine Christians to this world? Matthew 5: 13-16.
Preparation Needed
7. How did Christ prepare His apostles for their work? Luke 24:45; John 20:22.
8. Why did He tell the group of disciples to tarry in Jerusalem? Luke 24:49.
9. What. followed the outpouring of this power upon the believers? Acts 2:47; 4:4; 6.7.
Church Responsibilities
10. Point out several specific duties of the church at the present time.
I have been shown that the disciples of Christ are His representatives upon the earth; and God designs that they shall be lights in the moral darkness of this world, dotted all over the country, in the towns, villages, and cities. Testimonies, Volume 2, 631:2.
b. Restore the erring. Galatians 6:1; James 5:19, 20.
If one of these little ones shall be overcome, and commit a wrong against you, then it is your work to seek His restoration. Do not put him to shame by exposing his fault to others. In treating the wounds of the soul, there is need of the most delicate touch, the finest sensibility. The Desire of Ages, 440:2, 3.
c. Uphold standards of reform.
He calls upon the church to take up their appointed duty, holding up the standard of true reform in their own territory, leaving the trained and experienced workers to press on into new fields. Testimonies, Volume 6, 292:1
After individuals have been converted to the truth, they need to be looked after. These should not be left alone, a prey to Satan’s most powerful temptations; they need to be educated in regard to their duties, to be kindly dealt with, to be led along, and to be visited and prayed with. Testimonies, Volume 4, 68:3.
e. Help educate needy youth.
The churches in different localities should feel that a solemn responsibility rests upon them to train youth and educate talent to engage in missionary work. When they see those in the church who give promise of making useful workers, but who are not able to support themselves in the school, they should assume the responsibility of sending them to one of our training schools. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 69:2.
f. Reprove sin in the members of the church.
But it the sins of the People are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon them, and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for those sin. Testimonies, Volume 3, 265:1.
The Rewards
Make God’s Way Your Way:
100. THE CHURCH AND THE STATE
Then said He unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. Matthew 22:21.
Christ’s reply was no evasion, but a candid answer to the question. Holding in His hand the Roman coin upon which were stamped the name and image of Caesar, He declared that since they were living under the protection of the Roman power, they should render to that power the support it claimed, so long as this did not conflict with a higher duty. But while peaceably subject to the laws of the land they should at all times give their first allegiance to God. The Desire of Ages, 602:4.
The Civil Realm
We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when Its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must obey God rather than men. God’s word must be recognized as above all human legislation. A “Thus said the Lord” is not to be set aside for a “Thus said the state.” The crown of Christ is to be lifted above the diadems of earthly Potentates. The Acts of the Apostles, 69:0.
4. Why are Christians required to submit to earthly authority? 1 Peter 2:13; Romans 13:5.
5. For whom should Christians pray? 1 Timothy 2:1,2.
6. What civil rights should all enjoy? Acts 19:35-40.
The decision of the recorder and of others holding honorable offices in the city, had set Paul before the
people as one innocent of any unlawful act. This was another triumph of Christianity over error and superstition. God had raised up a great magistrate to vindicate His apostle and hold the tumultuous mob in check. The Acts of the Apostles, 295:2.
The Spiritual Realm
7. How did Jesus Christ point out that there is another realm outside of Caesar’s? Matthew 22:21.
8. Did Jesus in His reply to the Pharisees teach that it was possible to live satisfactorily under two governments at the same time? Matthew 22:15-22.
Religion and liberty are inseparable. Religion is voluntary, and cannot, and ought not to be forced. Liberty is Impossible on the basis of a union of church and state, where one of necessity restricts or controls the other. It requires a friendly separation, where each power is entirely independent in its own sphere.
The church, as such, has nothing to do with the state except to obey its laws and to strengthen its moral foundations. The state has nothing to do with the church except to protect her in her property and liberty; and the state must be equally just to all forms of belief and unbelief which 1do not endanger the public safety. Phillip Schaff, Church and State in the United States, 9.5 to 10:2.
9. Where the requirements of these two governments conflict, which should the Christian obey? Acts 5:29.
10. Note the following examples:
When Civil Power Invades God’s Realm
11. What experience awaits God’s people? Revelation 13:16, 17.
By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. Testimonies, Volume 5, 451:1.
12. Why are the angels represented as holding in cheek the winds of strife? Revelation 7:1-3.
So long as Jesus remains man’s intercessor in the sanctuary above, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit is felt by rulers and people. It still controls, to some extent, the laws of the land. Were it not for these laws, the condition of the world would be much worse than it now is. While many of our rulers are active agents of Satan, God also has His agents among the leading men of the nation. The enemy moves upon his servants to propose measures that would greatly Impede the work of God; but statesmen who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose such propositions with unanswerable arguments. Thus a few men will hold in cheek a powerful current of evil. The opposition of the enemies of truth will be restrained that the third angel’s message may do its work. When the final warning shall be given, it will arrest the attention of these leading men through whom the Lord is now working, and some of them will accept it, and will stand with the people of God through the time of trouble. The Great Controversy, 610:1
13. What should greatly encourage us when on trial for our faith? Romans 8:31.
14. Point out four ways in which God will honor the loyalty of those who are faithful.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 22:21
Revelation 7:1-3
Acts 5:29
Revelation 13:16, 17
Romans 13:1-3
Define or Identify:
“Higher powers”
Legislation
Liberty
Unlawful
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47.
During ages of spiritual darkness, the church of God has been as a city act on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one Object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His Power to transform hearts. The Acts of the Apostles, 12:1.
One True Church
1. The church is the body of Christ and has many members. 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 18, 27.
2. The church is the organized group of believers acknowledging Jesus as their supreme ruler.
3. How many members are there? 1 Corinthians 12:20.
4. How many bodies are there? 1 Corinthians 12:12, 20.
5. If we would belong to Christ His body, His church-we must needs become one of the “members in particular.” 1 Corinthians 12:27.
Reasons for Joining the Church
6. Why should I join the church?
c. To be better able to fulfil Christ’s commission to carry the gospel to all the world. Matthew 28:18-20.
God’s word is on anchor to every member of the church in the time of trouble. I want to belong to His fold. John 10:16.
Work of the Members of the Church
9. As the disciples went to all nations, teaching them the gospel, what else were they to do? Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15, 16.
10. When Cornelius and his household received the gift of the Holy Ghost, what question did Peter ask? Acts 10:44-48.
11. What answer did Paul and Silas give the jailer to his question, “What must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30, 31.
12. How did the jailer openly show his belief in Jesus Christ? Acts 16:33.
How to Join the Church
13. What is the sign of entrance to Christ’s spiritual kingdom or His church? Acts 2:38.
Christ has made baptism the sign of entrance to His spiritual kingdom. He hat made this a positive condition with which all must comply who wish to be acknowledged as under the authority of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Before man can find a home in the church, before passing the threshold of God’s spiritual kingdom, he is to receive the Impress of the divine name, “The Lord our Righteousness!” Jeremiah 23:6. Testimonies, Volume 6, 91:2.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 12:30
Acts 2:47
The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him. Habakkuk 2:20.
True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen, every heart should he deeply impressed. The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened. “Holy and reverend is His name” (Psalm 111:9), the psalmist declares. Angels, when they speak that name, veil their faces. With what reverence, then, should we, who are fallen and sinful, take it upon our lips!” Prophets And Kings, 48:2.
Reverence for God
1. What does David declare God’s name to be? Psalm 111: 9.
“Holy and reverend is His name.” Psalm 111:9. We are never in any manner to treat lightly the titles or appellations of the Deity.
We may, like the Jews in Christ’s day, manifest the greatest outward reverence for God, and yet profane His name continually. “The name of the Lord” is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Exodus 34:5-7. Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 157:1, 2.
Reverence for the Bible
2. Why are the Scriptures to be regarded with reverence?
For the printed volume we should show respect, never putting it to common uses, or handling it carelessly. And never should Scripture be quoted in a jest, or paraphrased to point a witty saying. Education, 244:1.
Reverence for God’s House
3. Describe how the temple had become “a den of thieves.” Mark 11:15-17.
4. What did Jesus declare God’s house to be? Luke 19:46.
5. God’s presence makes anything holy.
6. God’s ownership makes anything holy.
7. What was Israel to do besides “keep My Sabbaths”? Leviticus 19:30.
Reverence for God’s Ministers
8. How did God show His displeasure when one of His servants was treated disrespectfully? 2 Kings 2:23-25.
Elisha was a man of mild and kindly spirit; but that he could also be stern is shown by his course when, on the way to Bethel, he was mocked by ungodly youth who had come out of the city. These youth had heard of Elijah’s ascension, and they made this solemn event the subject of their jeers, saying to Elisha, “Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.” 2 Kings 2:23. Had Elisha allowed the mockery to pass unnoticed, he would have continued to be ridiculed and reviled by the rabble, and his mission to instruct and save in a time of grave national peril might have been defeated-Prophets and Kings, 235:2; 236:1.
When the worshipers enter the place of meeting, they should do so with decorum, passing quietly to their seats. Common talking, whispering, and laughing should not be permitted in the house of worship, either before or after the service. Ardent, active piety should characterize the worshipers.
When the minister enters, it should be with dignified, solemn mien. He should bow down in silent prayer as soon as he steps into the pulpit, and earnestly ask help of God. What an impression this will make! There will be solemnity and awe upon the people. Their minister is communing with God; he is committing himself to God before he dares to stand before the people. Every one of the congregation, also, who fears God should with bowed head unite in silent prayer with him that God may grace the meeting with His presence and give power to His truth proclaimed from human lips. When the meeting is opened by prayer, every knee should bow in the presence of the Holy One, and every heart should ascend to God in silent devotion. Testimonies, Volume 5, 492:1, 3.
9. Why was Elisha’s experience with the children of Bethel recorded? Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10: 11.
10. What counsel has the messenger of God sent His people regarding His leaders in the church
They [the children] are seldom instructed that the minister is God’s ambassador, that the message he brings is one of God’s appointed agencies ii the salvation of souls, and that to all who have the privilege brought within their reach it will be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. Testimonies, Volume 5, 497:0.
11. How should the worshipers come to “the sanctuary”? Psalm 122:1; Ecclesiastes 5:1,2; Habakkuk 2:20. All should be taught to be neat, clean, and orderly in their dress but not to indulge in that external adorning which is wholly inappropriate for the sanctuary. There should be no display of the apparel; for this encourages irreverence. God is to be the subject of thought, the object of worship; and anything that attracts the mind from the solemn, sacred service is an offense to Him. Testimonies, Volume 5, 499:1.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
Texts to Remember:
Leviticus 19:30
Habakkuk 2:20
Define or Identify:
Demeanor
Reverence
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:12.
The Ordinance of Humility
Jesus, the dear Savior, has given marked lessons in humility to all. In His humiliation, when His work upon earth was nearly finished and He was about to return to His Father’s throne, among His last lessons to His disciples was one upon the importance of humility. While His disciples were contending as to who should he greatest in the promised kingdom, He girded Himself as a servant; and washed the feet of those who called Him Lord and Master. Testimonies, Volume 4, 373:2.
4.By whom Was such service usually Performed?
At a feast it was customary for a servant to wash the feet of the guests, and on this occasion preparation had been made for the service. The pitcher, the basin, and the towel were there, in readiness for the feet washing; but no servant was present, and it was the disciples’ part to perform it. But each of the disciples, yielding to wounded pride, determined not to act the part of a servant. All manifested a stoical unconcern, seeming unconscious that there was anything for them to do. By their silence they refused to humble themselves. The Desire of Ages, 644:2.
5. How did Jesus use this occasion to teach both them and us a much-needed lesson? John 13.4, 5.
The disciples made no move toward serving one another. Jesus weighted for a time to see what they would do. Then He, the divine Teacher, rose from the table. He took a towel, and girded Himself. With surprised interest the disciples looked on, and in silence waited to see what was to follow. This action opened the eyes of the disciples. Bitter shame and humiliation filled their hearts. They understood the unspoken rebuke, and saw themselves in altogether a new light. He gave them an example they would never forget. One of the last acts of His life on earth was to gird Himself as a servant, and perform a servant’s part. The Desire of Ages, 644:4, 5.
He who washed the feet of Judas longs to wash every heart from the stain of sin. The Desire of Ages, 656:1
8. In what words did Christ specifically make this an ordinance of the church? John 13:12-16.
9. What will the celebration of this ordinance bring to the sincere Christian? John 13:17.
To those who receive the spirit of this service, it can never become a mere ceremonial. Its constant lesson will be, “By love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13.
Jesus, the served of all, came to be the servant of all. And because He ministered to all, He will again be served and honored by all. And those who would partake of His divine attributes, and share with Him the joy of seeing souls redeemed, must follow His example of unselfish ministry. The Desire of Ages, 651:2, 3.
The Lord’s Supper
Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. He, the spotless Lamb of God, was about to present Himself as a sin offering, and He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages. The Desire of Ages, 652:2.
10. For what purpose had Jesus and His disciples gathered on this occasion? Luke 22:7, 8.
11. How had Peter and John been told to find a room for this Last Supper? Luke 22:9-13.
12. Why would this particular Passover be of special interest to Jesus? Luke 22:15; 1 Corinthians 11:23.
13. During the Passover supper, what rite for the Christian church did our Savior institute? Luke 22:19, 20. In harmony with the rest that had been given them, the people then par. took of the Passover supper in a
reclining position. Couches were placed about the table, and the guests lay upon them, resting upon the left arm, and having the right hand free for use in eating. In this position a guest could lay his head upon the breast of the one who sat next above him. And the feet, being at the outer edge of the couch, could be washed by one passing around the outside of the circle.
Christ is still at the table on which the paschal supper has been spread. The unleavened cakes used at the Passover season are before Him. The Passover wine, untouched by fermentation, is on the table. These emblems Christ employs to represent His own unblemished sacrifice. Nothing corrupted by fermentation, the symbol of sin and death, could represent the “Lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:19. The Desire of Ages, 653:1,2.
14. What does the bread represent? The wine? Matthew 26:26, 28.
15. What does this ordinance commemorate? 1 Corinthians 11: 26.
Christ has instituted this service that it may speak to our senses of the love of God that has been expressed in our behalf. There can be no union between our souls and God except through Christ. The union and love between brother and brother must be cemented and rendered eternal by the love of Jesus. And nothing less than the death of Christ could make His love efficacious for us. It is only because of His death that we can look with joy to His Second Coming. His sacrifice is the center of our hope. Upon this we must fix our faith. The Desire of Ages, 660:1.
16. In this service, who ministers to those present? None should exclude themselves from the Communion because some who are unworthy may be present. Hearts and hands that are unworthy may even administer the ordinance, yet Christ is there to minister to His children. All who neglect these seasons of divine privilege will suffer loss. The Desire of Ages, 656:4.
17. Should any be excluded from taking part?
There may come into the company persons who are not in heart servants of truth and holiness, but who may wish to take part in the service. They should not be forbidden. There are witnesses present who were present when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and of Judas. More than human eyes beheld the scene. The Desire of Ages, 656:2.
18. How important is it that we be present?
All who come with their faith fixed upon Him will be greatly blessed. All who neglect these seasons of divine privilege will suffer loss. Of them it may appropriately be said, “You are not all clean!’ [John 13:11] The Desire of Ages, 656:4.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
Text to Remember: Matthew 23:12
The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm 24:1.
The system of tithes and offerings was intended to impress the minds of men with a great truth-that God is the source of every blessing to His creatures, and that to Him man’s gratitude is due for the good gifts of His providence. Patriarchs and Prophets, 525:3.
God’s plan in the tithing system is beautiful in its simplicity and equality. All may take hold of it in faith and courage, for it is divine in its origin. In it are combined simplicity and utility, and it does not require depth of learning to understand and execute it. All may feel that they can act a part in carrying forward the precious work of salvation. Every man, woman, and youth may become a treasurer for the Lord and may be an agent to meet the demands upon the treasury. Says the apostle: “Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God bath prospered him.” [1 Corinthians 16:2] Testimonies, Volume 3, 388:4.
The Tithe
The apostle here referred to the Lord’s plan for the maintenance of the priests who ministered in the temple. Those who were set apart to this holy office were supported by their brethren, to whom they ministered spiritual blessings. “Verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law!” Hebrews 7:5 One tenth of all the increase was claimed by the Lord as His own, and to withhold the tithe was regarded by Him as robbery. The Acts of the Apostles, 336:1.
2. What is a tithe?
A tenth part of one’s income consecrated to God-John D. Davis and Henry S. Gehman, The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, article, “Tithe.”
3. Who asks us to pay tithe? Malachi 3:8, 10.
All should remember that God’s claims upon us underlie every other claim. He gives to us bountifully, and the contract which He has made with man is that a tenth of his possessions shall be returned to God. The Lord graciously entrusts to His stewards His treasures, but of the tenth He says: This is Mine. Just in proportion as God has given His property to man, so man is to return to God a faithful tithe of all his substance. This distinct arrangement was by Jesus Christ Himself. Testimonies, Volume 6, 384:2.
4. What is the first mention made of tithe paying in the Bible? Genesis 14:18-20. a. Who paid the tithe?
b. To whom was it paid?
5. This example of tithe paying is introduced in the Bible story without any explanation. It would seem, therefore, that tithe paying was customary in those days.
6. Upon what fundamental bases does tithe paying rest?
The system of tithes and offerings was intended to impress the minds of men with a great truth-that God is the source of every blessing to His creatures, and that to Him man’s gratitude is due for the good gifts of His providence. Patriarchs and Prophets, 525:1
c. We are blessed because of giving. Proverbs 11:24, 25; Matthew 10:8; Acts 20:35.
7. How is the tithe to be reckoned? Deuteronomy 14:22.
Voluntary offerings and the tithe constitute the revenue of the gospel. Of the means which is entrusted to man, God claims a certain portion-a tithe [one tenth]; but He leaves all free to say how much the tithe is, and whether or not they will give more than this. They are to give as they purpose in their hearts. Testimonies, Volume 5, 149: 1.
The giving of the tithe to God is an acknowledgment of our dependence upon Him.
8. In what particular are the tithe and the Sabbath alike? Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 27:30.
“The tithe is the Lord’s.” Leviticus 27:30. Here the same form of expression is employed as in the law of the Sabbath. “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus 20:10. God reserved to Himself a specified portion of man’s time and of his means, and no man could, without guilt, appropriate either for his own interests. Patriarchs and Prophets, 525:5.
9. What are those considered to be who do not give God the tithe? Malachi 3:8.
God lays His hand upon all man’s possessions, saying: I am the owner of the universe, and these goods are Mine. The tithe you have withheld I reserve for the support of My servants in their work of opening the Scriptures to those who are in the regions of darkness, who do not understand My law. In using My reserve fund to gratify your own desires you have robbed souls of the light which I made provision for them to receive. You have had opportunity to show loyalty to Me, but you have not done this. You have robbed Me; you have stolen My reserve fund. “You are cursed with a curse.” Malachi 3:9. Testimonies, Volume 6, 387:2.
10. How does God meet the objection, “I cannot afford to pay tithe”? Malachi 3:10, 11.
11. For what did Jesus commend the “scribes and Pharisee”? Matthew 23:23.
12. Three reasons for paying tithe:
Offerings
13. What should we give to God besides our tithe? Malachi 3:8.
The payment of the tithe was but a part of God’s plan for the support of His service. Numerous gifts and offerings were divinely specified. Under the Jewish system, the people were taught to cherish a spirit of liberality, both in sustaining the cause of God and in supplying the wants of the needy. By this system of benevolence the Lord sought to teach Israel that in everything He must be first. Everything that they possessed was His; they were but the stewards of His goods. It is not God’s purpose that Christians, whose privileges far exceed those of the Jewish nation, shall give less freely than they gave. The Acts of the Apostles, 336:3 to 337:2.
Conditions
God has a heaven full of blessings for those who will co-operate with Him. All who obey Him may with confidence claim the fulfillment of His promises. Christ’s Object Lessons, 145:1.
God’s Promise
A promise is here given that, it all the tithes are brought into the storehouse, a blessing from God will be poured upon the obedient. Testimonies. Volume 3, 394:4.
14. What is an “offering”?
A gift; especially, money given to a church for Its support. Webster.
The contributions required of the Hebrews for religious and charitable purposes amounted to fully one fourth of their income. So heavy a tax upon the resources of the people might be expected to reduce them to poverty; but, on the contrary, the faithful observance of these regulations was one of the conditions of their prosperity. Patriarchs and Prophets, 527:1.
16. What should be the measure of our giving? 1 Corinthians 16:2.
17. What kind of giver does the Lord love? 2 Corinthians 9:7.
18. Does God withhold His blessings because we do not give? Haggai 1:5-11.
A striking illustration of the results of selfishly withholding even freewill offerings from the cause of God,
was given in the days of the prophet Haggai. After their return from the captivity in Babylon, the Jews undertook to rebuild the temple of the Lord; but meeting determined opposition from their enemies, they discontinued the work. And a severe drought, by which they were reduced to actual want, convinced them that it was impossible to complete the building of the temple. “The time is not come,” they said, “the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” But a message was sent them by the Lord’s prophet:- “Is it time for you, 0 you, to dwell in your tiled houses, and this house lie waste? Consider your ways. You have sown much, and bring in little. Because of Mine house that is waste.” Haggai 1:2-9. Patriarchs and Prophets, 527:2.
19. With what should we honor God? Proverbs 3:9, 10.
20. What is said of the “liberal soul”? Proverbs 11:25.
God has made men His stewards. The property which He has placed in their hands is the means that He has provided for the spread of the gospel. To those who prove themselves faithful stewards He will commit greater trusts. Patriarchs and Prophets, 529:2.
Make God’s Way Your Way:
Texts to Remember:
Leviticus 27:30
Psalm 24:1
Malachi 3:8-10
Matthew 23:23
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood bath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:16-18.
The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took UP the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of bell have not been able to prevail against His people. The Acts of the Apostle, 11:2.
The Church in the Old Testament
The Church in the New Testament
The Remnant Church
The Work of the Church
The Church and the State
Why Join the Church?
Reverence in the House of God
The Ordinances of the Lord’s House
The Support of the Church
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
Reverence in God’s sanctuary was essential in ancient times even as it is today.
20. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11.
God has placed in His church the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. These gifts operate in harmony with the divine principles of the Bible, and are given for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, the edifying of the body of Christ. Revelation 12:17; 19:10; 1 Corinthians 1:5-7. The gift of the spirit of prophecy is one of the identifying marks of the remnant church. 1 Corinthians 1:5, 7; 12:1, 28; Revelation 12:17; 19:10; Amos 3:7; Hosea 12:10, 13. This gift was manifested in the life and ministry of Ellen G. White.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God!” Romans 8:14.
Ask you of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field. Zechariah 10:1.
Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God’s church. The out pouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. To the end of time, the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church. The Acts of the Apostles, 54:2.
The Lord employs these operations of nature to represent the work of the Holy Spirit. As the dew and the rain are given first to cause the seed to germinate, and then to ripen the harvest, so the Holy Spirit is given to carry forward, from one stage to another, the process of spiritual growth. The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. Testimonies to Ministers, 506:1.
The Early Rain
In the East the former rain falls at the sowing time. It is necessary in order that the seed may germinate. Under the influence of the fertilizing showers, the tender shoot springs up. Testimonies to Ministers, 506: 1.
2. Why is the early rain so important?
Unless the former [early] rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection. Testimonies to Ministers, 506:2.
3. What marks the beginning of spiritual life? John 3:3, 5.
The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. As in nature, so in grace; there can be no life without growth. The plant must either grow or die. As its growth in silent and imperceptible, but continuous, so is the development of the Christian life. Christ’s Object Lessons, 65:2.
4. Against what terrible mistake are we warned? Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making-a terrible mistake There must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1.
5. Over how long a period will the blessings associated with the early rain be needed?
At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end. Testimonies to Ministers, 507:2.
6. How is the experience on the Day of Pentecost identified? Acts 2:16-18.
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more abundant. Christ’s Object Lessons, 121:1.
7. What preparations were made by the disciples as they awaited the reception of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost? Acts 1:14; 2:1.
It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1.
The Latter Rain
8. What is the prophet Zechariah’s counsel in the time of the latter rain? Zechariah 10:1.
Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it. The growth and perfection of the seed rests not with the husbandman. God alone can ripen the harvest. We must seek His favors with the whole heart if the showers of grace are to come to us. Testimonies to Ministers, 508:1.
9. What are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain? Acts 2:14; Hebrews 10:
25.
The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain. Testimonies to Ministers, 508:1.
10. For what event does the latter rain prepare the church? Revelation 14:14-16.
The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. Testimonies to Ministers, 506:2.
11. Name two experiences we must have in order to receive the latter rain in the “times of refreshing.” Acts 3:19.
12. When will the latter rain fall upon us, as the early rain fell upon the early disciples on the Day of Pentecost?
Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple, of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall. Testimonies, Volume 5, 214:2.
13. What is the relation between the latter rain and the time of trouble? Joel 2:21-32.
It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them [the faithful people of God] to pass through the time of trouble. Testimonies, Volume 1, 353:3.
14. When the people of God receive the latter rain, for what other great spiritual event will they be fitted?
Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation. Testimonies, Volume 1, 187: 1.
Did You Know?
Texts to Remember:
Zechariah 10: 1
Acts 3: 19
Define or Identify:
Imperceptible
“The former rain”
“The latter rain”
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 1 Corinthians 12:1.
When the Savior said, “Go teach all nations” [Matthew 28:19], He said also, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” [Mark 16:17, 18.] The promise is as far-reaching as the commission. Not that all the gifts are imparted to each believer. The Spirit divides “to every man severally as He will.” 1 Corinthians 12: 11. But the gifts of the Spirit are promised to every believer according to his need for the Lord’s work. The promise is just as strong and trustworthy now as in the days of the apostles. The Desire of Ages, 823:2.
The Gifts
1. When and by whom were the gifts of the Spirit bestowed? Ephesians 4:7, 8.
‘When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Ephesians 4:8. “Unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,” the Spirit “dividing to every man severally as He will!” 1 Corinthians 12:11. The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God. Christ’s Object Lessons, 327:2.
2. What is the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit? 1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:12, 13.
In sending forth His ministers our the means which God has ordained for Savior gave gifts unto men, for the perfecting of the saints in knowledge through them He communicates to the edge and true holiness. Testimonies, world the words of eternal life. This is Volume 5, 237:4.
3. The gifts of the Spirit are:
As recorded in 1 Corinthians 12
m. “Working of miracles.”
n. “Discerning of spirits.”
As recorded in Ephesians 4
4. Like the talents, God’s “gifts” Fruit of the Spirit increase when put to use. Matthew
25:14-30.
Employed to bless others, His gifts increase. Shut up to self-serving, they diminish, and are finally withdrawn. He who refuses to impart that which he has received, will at last find that he has nothing to give. Christ’s Object Lessons, 364: 1.
5. What should be our attitude toward spiritual gifts? 1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1.
6. The “fruit of the Spirit” is a nine-qualified fruit. Galatians 5: 22, 23.
7. How is this fruit developed in the life?
The perfect fruit of faith, meekness, and love often matures best amid storm clouds and darkness. Often when we pray for the graces of the Spirit, God works to answer our prayers by placing us in circumstances to develop these fruits; but we do not understand His purpose, and wonder, and are dismayed. Yet none can develop these graces except through the process of growth and fruit bearing. Our part is to receive God’s word and to hold it fast, yielding ourselves fully to Its control, and Its purpose in us will be accomplished. Christ’s Object Lessons, 61:1,2.
8. How did Jesus illustrate this matter of fruit bearing? Matthew 7:16-20; John 15:1, 2.
9. What is absolutely essential to fruit bearing by the Christian? John 15:4.
There is a wide difference between a pretended union and a real connection with Christ by faith. A profession of the truth places men in the church, but this does not prove that they have a vital connection with the living Vine. A rule is given by which the true disciple may be distinguished from those who claim to follow Christ but have not faith in Him. The one class are fruit bearing, the other, fruitless. The one are often subjected to the pruning knife of God that they may bring forth more fruit; the other, as withered branches, are ere long to be severed from the living Vine. Testimonies, Volume 5, 228:5.
10. Why did Jesus urge “that you bear much fruit”? John 15:8.
Like rain from heaven the Holy Spirit comes to water the hearts of God’s children.
The fruit we bear is the only test of the character of the tree before the world. This is the proof of our discipleship. If our works are of such a character that as branches of the living Vine we bear rich clusters of precious fruit, then we wear before the world God’s own badge as His sons and daughters. We are living epistles, known and read of all men. Testimonies, Volume 5, 348:2.
11. What relation does bearing the fruit of the Spirit have to Christ’s Second Coming? 2 Peter 3:12, margin. The marginal reading of the King James Version is, “Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”
It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain. Christ’s Object Lessons, 69:2.
Did You Know?
1. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Galatians 5:22, 23. This fruit can never perish, but will produce after Its kind a harvest unto eternal life. Christ’s Object Lessons, 68:1.
Texts to Remember:
1 Corinthians 12:1
Ephesians 4: 8
1 Corinthians 12:28
Ephesians 4:12
Galatians 5:22, 23
The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10.
It was Christ that spoke to His people through the prophets. The apostle Peter, writing to the Christian church, says that the prophets “prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1 Peter 1:10,11. It is the voice of Christ that speaks to us through the Old Testament. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10. Patriarchs and Prophets, 366:3.
Origin and Purpose of the Gift of Prophecy
The prophecies which the great, I AM has given in His word, uniting link after link in the chain of events, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future, tell us where we are today in the procession of the ages, and what may be expected in the time to come. Prophets and Kings, 536:1
3. Was the gospel message of Christ based on the prophecies? Matthew 4:12-17; Mark 1:14, 15.
The burden of Christ’s preaching was, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the gospel.” [Mark 1:15] Thus the gospel message, as given by the Savior Himself, was based on the prophecies. The “time” [See Daniel 9:24-27] which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. The Desire of Ages, 233:1.
4. Were there prophets in New Testament times? Luke 7:28; Acts 11:28; 21:9, 10; Revelation 1:1-3.
In the Remnant Church
5. Prove from the Scriptures that the remnant church will have the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 12: 17; 19: 10.
If you had made God’s word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies. It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves with God’s Inspired Book that He has sought to reach you by simple, direct testimonies, calling your attention to the words of inspiration which you had neglected to obey, and urging you to fashion your lives in accordance with its pure and elevated teachings. Testimonies, Volume 2, 605:1.
The sure word of prophecy holds as an anchor in the fury of the final storm.
7. Point out the purpose or object of the spirit of prophecy in the remnant church. 1 Corinthians 12:4-8.
The Lord designs to warn you, to reprove, to counsel, through the testimonies given, and to impress your minds with the importance of the truth of His word. Testimonies, Volume 2, 605:2.
For references illustrating this point see the following:
Testimonies, Volume 1, 426-437 Testimonies, Volume 2, 625-631 Testimonies, Volume 2, 243-253 Testimonies, Volume 2, 259-261
b. Not to give additional truth or new light.
The written testimonies are not to give new light, but to impress vividly upon the heart the truths of inspiration already revealed. Additional truth is not brought out. Testimonies, Volume 2, 605:2.
c. Not to take the place of the Bible.
The Testimonies were not given to take the place of the Bible. Testimonies, Volume 5, 663: 1.
d. Not to belittle the Bible, but to exalt it.
The Testimonies are not to belittle the word of God, but to exalt it and attract minds to it, that the beautiful simplicity of truth may impress all. Testimonies, Volume 5, 665:2.
e. To bring unity to the church; God’s people will see “eye to eye.”
God designs that His people shall be a unit that they shall see eye to eye and be of the same mind and of the same judgment. This cannot be accomplished without a clear, pointed, living testimony. Testimonies, Volume 3, 361:3.
f. To deliver God’s message to a world in need.
There was given me also the solemn charge to deliver faithfully the Lord’s message, making no difference for friends or foes. Testimonies, Volume 5, 677:1.
g. To separate the rebellious from Israel.
The straight testimony must be revived, and it will separate those from Israel who have ever been at war with the means that God has ordained to keep corruption out of the church. Testimonies, Volume 3, 324: 1.
Did You Know?
Texts to Remember:
Mark 1:14,15
2 Peter 1:21
John 13:19
Revelation 19:10
Define or Identify:
Eternity
Inspiration
Prophecy
Remnant
All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. Matthew 12:31.
It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare it to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul.
It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. The Desire of Ages, 322:0, 2.
What the Unpardonable Sin is Not
1. It is not necessarily murder or adultery. (David’s case-he sinned, but was forgiven.)
Thou forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm 32:5.
2. It may not be cursing and lying. (Peter’s case-denied Christ, but was forgiven.)
Three times Peter had openly denied his Lord, and three times Jesus drew from him the assurance of his love and loyalty, pressing home that pointed question like a barbed arrow to his wounded heart. [See John 21:15-17.] Before the assembled disciples Jesus revealed the depth of Peter’s repentance, and showed how thoroughly humbled was the once boasting disciple. The Desire of Ages, 812:2.
God’s Willingness to Forgive
3. How willing is God to forgive every sinner? Psalm 86:5.
4. What language expresses God’s desire that none perish? Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9.
What the Unpardonable Six Is
5. The unpardonable sin is
How the Unpardonable Sin Is Committed
6. The following is typical of God’s workings with us:
Jesus is “the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.” John 1:9. (Compare with Luke 4:18.)
“The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.
“Still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), saying, “This is the way, walk you in it” (Isaiah 30:21).
b. But if we reject the Holy Spirit’s voice:
“He that covers his sins shall not prosper.” Proverbs 28:13.
“Lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord.” Isaiah 30:9.
“0 Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children and you would not.” Matthew 23:37.
“To him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17
“The Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts.” 1 Samuel 6:6.
“Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95:7; Hebrews 3:15.
“Though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him.” John 12:37.
d. Then it is too late:
“They mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets till there was no remedy.” 2 Chronicles 36:16.
“Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.” Hosea 4:17.
“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31.
e. The result is that the sinner has gone beyond the reach of God’s voice:
There is no way by which God can speak to us if we have closed all the avenues. (See 1 Samuel 28:6) “There is a way which seems right but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12. “He that turns away his ear, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Proverbs 28:9.
Saul. “God is departed from me, and answers me no more.” Samuel 28:15.
Ephraim. “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” Hosea 4:17.
Judas. “He went immediately out: and it was night.” John 13:30.
But the last appeal of love was unheeded. Then the case of Judas was decided, and the feet that Jesus had washed went forth to the betrayer’s work. The Desire of Ages, 720:3.
How Can We Know?
8. How can a sinner tell if he has gone too far? Ephesians 4:19; Hebrews 10: 26.
So long as one does this [Rejecting Christ; Refusing the invitation of mercy,” page 324] he can find no hope or pardon, and he will finally lose all desire to be reconciled to God. The Desire of Ages, 325:0.
As long as there is a heartfelt desire to return to God, not just a “fearful looking for of judgment (Hebrews 10:27), God’s Spirit is still striving with the heart, and there is still opportunity to return to the heavenly Father’s house.
Did You Know?
Texts to Remember:
Proverbs 14:12
Hebrews 10: 26
Matthew 12:31
James 4:17
Define or Identify
Adversary
Blasphemy
Manifestation
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30.
When the Holy Spirit works the human agent, it does not ask us in what way it shall operate. Often it moves in unexpected ways. Christ did not come as the Jews expected. He did not come in a manner to glorify them as a nation. His forerunner came to prepare the way for Him by calling upon the people to repent of their sins, and be converted, and be baptized. Christ’s message was, “The kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the gospel.” [Mark 1:15.] The Jews refused to receive Christ, because He did not come in accordance with their expectations. The ideas of finite men were held as infallible, because hoary with age.
This in the danger to which the church is now exposed-that the invention of finite men shall mark out the precise way for the Holy Spirit to come They are not willing to exchange their own righteousness, which is unrighteousness, for the righteousness of Christ, which is pure, unadulterated truth. The Holy Spirit flatters no man, neither does it work according to the devising of any man. Finite, sinful men are not to work the Holy Spirit. When it shall come as a reprover, through any human agent whom God shall choose, it is man’s place to bear and obey its voice. Testimonies to Ministers, 64:2, 3.
The Spirit and Those Filled With the Spirit
1. By what other names is the Holy Spirit called?
2. Some individuals have been filled with the Holy Spirit:
3. What did the Holy Spirit do for or with the following?
It is very evident that the Spirit of God manifests itself in various ways at different times in different individuals, with different results.
4. If God, by His Spirit, takes possession of an individual, and uses him, is such an individual thereby assured of salvation? 1 Samuel 16:14; 1 Chronicles 10:13, 14.
No beauty of earth con compare with that of a life which bears the fruit of the Spirit.
Work of the Holy Spirit
5. Name four things that Jesus said the Comforter or the Spirit would do. John 14:26; 16:13.
6. What relation does the Comforter sustain to Christ? John 15:26.
7. Why were the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem? Luke 24:49.
8. What did Jesus tell His followers they would do “after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you”? Acts 1: 8.
9. What initial step in the Christian life does the Holy Spirit bring about? John 3:5.
10. If we would be the sons of God, what relation must we have to the Spirit of God? Romans 8:14.
11. What characteristics are seen in the Spirit-filled life? Galatians 5:22, 23.
12. Where does the Spirit of God dwell on earth? 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19, 20.
13. In what way does the Holy Spirit help us in prayer? Romans 8:26.
14. By what means did Jesus cast out devils? Matthew 12:28.
15. At whose suggestion did the church at Antioch set Paul and Barnabas apart for gospel work? Acts 13:2.
16. What final word does the Spirit speak to men? Revelation 22:17.
17. Other things the Holy Spirit will do:
Did You Know?
Texts to Remember:
Romans 8:14
Ephesians 4:30
Revelation 22:17
Define or Identify:
Adulterated Infallible
Righteousness
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14.
The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Savior would he accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high. In every trial He would be with them.
At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance. can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer. The Desire of Ages, 669:2-4.
The Early and the Latter Rain
The Gifts and the Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The Gift of Prophecy
The Work of the Holy Spirit
1. By what other names is the Holy Spirit known?
2. Name six Bible characters who were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Sin That Will Not Be Forgives
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
14:12.
2. “Ask you of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field.” Zechariah 10: 1.
Come, Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quickening powers;
Kindle a flame of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours
Oh, raise our thoughts from things below
From vanities and toys!
Then shall we with fresh courage go
To reach eternal joys.
Awake our souls to joyful songs;
Let pure devotions rise;
Thy praise employs our thankful tongues,
And doubt forever dies.
Father, we would no longer live
At this poor, dying rate;
To Thee our thankful love we give,
For You to us is great.
Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quickening powers;
Come, shed abroad a Savior’s love,
And that shall kindle ours.
Isaac Watts
The Second Coming of Christ is the great hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel and plan of salvation. His coming will be literal, personal, and visible. Many important events will be associated with His return, such as the resurrection of the dead, the destruction of the wicked, the purification of the earth, the reward of the righteous, the establishment of His everlasting kingdom.
The millennial reign of Christ covers-the period between the first and the second resurrections, during which time the saints of all ages will live with their blessed Redeemer in heaven. At the end of the millennium, the Holy City, with all the saints, will descend to the earth. The wicked, raised in the second resurrection, will go up on the breadth of the earth with Satan at their head to compass the camp of the saints, when fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them. In the conflagration which destroys Satan and his host, the earth itself will be regenerated and cleansed from the effects of the curse. Thus the universe of God will be purified from the foul blot of sin.
God will make all things new. The earth, restored to its pristine beauty, will become forever the abode of the saints of the Lord. The promise to Abraham, that through Christ he and his seed should possess the earth throughout the endless ages of eternity, will be fulfilled....
“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12.
Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you, may be also. John 14:1-3.
One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible is that of Christ’s Second Coming, to complete the great work of redemption The doctrine of the Second Advent is the very keynote of the Sacred Scriptures. From the day when the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer’s power and bring them again to the lost Paradise. The Great Controversy, 299: 1.
Holy men of old looked forward to the advent of the Messiah in glory, as the consummation of their hope. Enoch, only the seventh in descent from them that dwelt in Eden, he who for three centuries on earth walked with his God, was permitted to behold from afar the coming of the Deliverer. The Great Controversy, 299:1.
2. What did Job know about his Redeemer? Job 19:25-27.
3. For what did Abraham, look? Hebrews 11:10.
God gave to Abraham a view of this Immortal inheritance, and with this hope he was content. Patriarchs and Prophets, 170:1.
4. What did David say as he sang of the power and majesty of Israel’s King? Psalm 50:24.
5. Why does Isaiah admonish the dead to “awake and sing”? Isaiah 25:8, 9; 26:19.
6. Habakkuk, in holy vision, beheld our Savior’s glorious appearing. Habakkuk 3:3-13.
7. When the Savior was about to leave His disciples, with what words did He comfort them? John 14:1-3. It was our Lord Himself who promised His disciples, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself.” John 14:3. The Great Controversy, 339:2.
Standing as certain as Gibraltar are the eternal promises of the word of God.
8. Who again repeated to the disciples the promise of Jesus’ return? Acts 1: 11.
It was the compassionate Savior, who, anticipating the loneliness and sorrow of His followers, commissioned angels to comfort them with the assurance that He would come again in person, even as He went into heaven. The Great Controversy, 339:2.
On rocky Patmos the beloved disciple hears the promise, “Surely I come quickly,” and his longing response voices the prayer of the church in all her pilgrimage, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20. The Great Controversy, 302:1
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember:
John 14:1-3 Acts 1: 11 Revelation 1: 7
Define or Identify:
Consummation
Generation
Patmos
Fables
Paradise pilgrimage
Fundamental
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Luke 21:25, 26.
I saw that when the Lord said “heaven,” in giving the signs recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, He meant heaven, and when He said “earth” He meant earth. The powers of heaven are the sun, moon, and stars. They rule in the heavens. The powers of earth are those that rule on the earth. The powers of heaven will be shaken at the voice of God. Then the sun, moon, and stars will be moved out of their places. They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice of God. Early Writings, 41:1.
Signs in the Sun, Moon, and Stars
1. The Pharisees asked Jesus for signs. For what signs did the disciples ask? Matthew 24:3.
2. How were the sun, moon, and stars to become signs? Isaiah 13: 10; Joel 2:10, 30, 31; 3:15; Matthew 24:29; Luke 21:25.
May 19, 1780, stands in history as “The Dark Day!” Since the time of Moses, no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration, has ever been recorded. The description of this event, as given by eyewitnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord. The Great Controversy, 308: 1.
A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet. Letter of Dr. Samuel Tenney, 1785, in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, pt. 1, Volume 1, 1792 ed., 97, 98.
The obscuration began about ten o’clock in the morning, and continued until the middle of the next night. Noah Webster’s Dictionary, edition 1869.
b. “The moon shall not give her light.” Matthew 24:29.
Though at nine o’clock that night [May 19, 1780] the moon rose to the full, “it had not the least effect to dispel the deathlike shadows!” After midnight the darkness disappeared, and the moon, when first visible, had the appearance of blood. The Great Controversy, 308:0.
c. “The stars shall fall from heaven.” Matthew 24:29.
Scientific study of the orbits of shooting stars began after the occurrence of the most brilliant meteoric shower on record-that of November 13, 1833. This spectacle, which excited the greatest interest among all beholders, and was looked upon with consternation by the ignorant, many of whom thought that the end of the world had come, was witnessed generally throughout North America, which happened to be the part of the earth facing the meteoric storm. Hundreds of thousands of shooting stars fell in the course of two or three hours. Some observers compared their number to the flakes of a snowstorm, or to the raindrops in a shower. The Encyclopedia Americana, article, “Meteors or Shooting Stars.”
The headlines of the doily newspaper confirm the truth that Jesus is coming again.
Signs in the Earth
3. What signs were to appear in the earth? Matthew 224:7; Luke 21:25.
a. Earthquakes-The great Lisbon earthquake, 1755.
Among the earth movements which in historic times have affected the kingdom of Portugal, that of November 1, 1755, takes first rank; as it does also, in some respects, among all recorded earthquakes. The first shocks of this earthquake came without other warning than a deep sound of rumbling thunder, which appeared to proceed from beneath the ground, and it was immediately followed by a quaking which threw down almost the entire city. In six minutes sixty thousand persons perished. W. H. Hobbs, Earthquakes, 1907 ed., 142. 143. (Quoted in Source Book for Bible Students, article, “Earthquakes,” 150.)
(2) What causes earthquakes?
At this time [the Flood] immense forests were buried. These have since been changed to coal, forming the extensive coal beds that now exist, and also yielding large quantities of oil. The coal and oil frequently ignite and burn beneath the surface of the earth. Thus rocks are heated, limestone is burned, and Iron ore melted. The action of the water upon the lime adds fury to the intense heat, and causes earthquakes, volcanoes, and fiery Issues. As the fire and water come in contact with ledges of rock and ore, there are heavy explosions underground, which sound like muffled thunder. These wonderful manifestations will be more and more frequent and terrible just before the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world, as signs of its speedy destruction. Patriarchs and Prophets, 108:2.
b. “Men’s hearts failing them for fear.” Luke 21:26.
The fulfillment of this prophecy is brought forcibly to our minds when we read, all too frequently, of the sudden death of men bearing heavy responsibilities in. government, business, or economic affairs.
c. Famine and pestilence. Matthew 24:7. (See also Ezekiel 7:13, 15-17.)
In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established And now began the 1260 years of papal oppression foretold in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation Now were fulfilled the words of Jesus: “You shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake.” Luke 21:16, 17. The Great Controversy, 54:2.
6. What may we know when these signs appear? Matthew 24: 32, 33.
7. What sign in the heavens remains to be fulfilled? Matthew 24:29, last part.
8. Will anyone know the exact time of Jesus’ return? Matthew 24:36.
9. Will the day and hour of Jesus, coming ever be announced?
And as God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus’ coming and delivered the everlasting covenant to His
people, He spoke one sentence, and then paused, while the words were rolling through the earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed upward, listening to the words as they came from the mouth of Jehovah and rolled through the earth like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn. At the end of every sentence the saints shouted. “Glory! Hallelujah!” Their countenances were lighted up with the glory of God, and they shone with glory as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked could not look upon them for their glory. And when the never-ending blessing was pronounced on those who had honored God in keeping His Sabbath holy. There was a mighty shout of victory over the beast and over his image. Early Writings, 285:2.
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 24:29
Luke 21:25, 26
Revelation 6:12
Define or Identify:
“Powers of heaven”
Meteor
Orbits
“The dark day”
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despising of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body Of Christ’s true followers are still to h. found in their communion. There are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time. Not a few are dissatisfied with their present condition, and are longing for clearer light. The time will come when those who love God supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as are “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” [2 Timothy 3.4,5] The Great Controversy, 390:1.
Signs in the Social World
1. To what days did Jesus liken the time of “the coming of the Son of man”? Matthew 24:37-39.
The sins that called for vengeance upon the antediluvian world, exist today. The fear of God is banished from the hearts of men, and His law is treated with indifference and contempt. The intense worldliness of that generation is equaled by that of the generation now living God did not condemn the antediluvians for eating and drinking; He had given them the fruits of the earth in great abundance to supply their physical wants. Their sin consisted in taking these gifts without gratitude to the Giver, and de. basing themselves by indulging appetite without restraint. It was lawful for them to marry. Marriage was in God’s order; it was one of the first institutions which He established. He gave special, directions concerning this ordinance, clothing it with sanctity and beauty; but these directions were forgotten, and marriage was perverted, and made to minister to passion. Patriarchs and Prophets, 101:2.
2. What particular social conditions did Paul point out as characteristic of “the last days”? 2 Timothy 3:14.
i. “Despising those that are good.”
m. “Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God”
3. May we look for conditions to get better or worse? 2 Timothy 3:13.
4. What caution did Jesus give, lest “that day come upon you unawares”? Luke 21:34, 35.
a. “Take heed to yourselves, lest hearts be overtaken at any time your charged with”:
b. “As a snare shall it come on all.”
5. Does drunkenness always refer to the use of wine or like beverages? Isaiah 29:9.
Many who are numbered with the believers are not really with them in faith and principle in order to gain riches they accumulate burdens and cares until their minds are almost wholly engrossed with them. They are eager for gains and always anxious for fear of losses. The more money and lands they possess the more eager are they for more. “They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.” [Isaiah 29:9] They are surfeited with the cares of this life, which affect them as strong drink does the drunkard. They are so blinded by selfishness that they work night and day to secure perishable treasures. Are not the senses of such persons perverted? Are they not drunken with the intoxicating cup of worldliness? Testimonies, Volume 5, 258:2.
Signs in the Religious World
6. Who did Peter say “shall come in the last days”? What question would they ask? 2 Peter 3:3, 4.
Do we not hear these very words repeated, not merely by the openly ungodly, but by many who occupy the pulpits of our land? “There is no cause for alarm,” they cry. “Before Christ shall come, all the world is to be converted, and righteousness is to reign for a thousand years. Peace, peace! All things continue as they were from the beginning. Let none be disturbed by the exciting message of these alarmists.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 103:0.
7. What question did Jesus ask about faith “when the Son of man comes”? Luke 18:8.
8. What is the answer to Jesus’ question? Revelation 14:12.
9. What religious condition in the last days does Paul point out? 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Men shall be:
e. “Having a form of godliness.”
f. “Denying the power [of godliness].”
And yet, in this time of fearful peril, some who profess to be Christians have no family worship. They do not honor God in the home; they do not teach their children to love and fear Him. Many have separated themselves so far from Him that they feel under condemnation in approaching Him. They cannot “come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16), “lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8). They have not a living connection with God. Theirs is a form of godliness without the power. Testimonies, Volume 7, 42:2.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The Great Controversy, 624:2.
Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The Savior has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His Second Coming This coming, there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known-witnessed by the whole world. The Great Controversy, 625:2.
11. What did Jesus declare is to be done before the promise, “Then shall the end come” is fulfilled? Matthew 24:14.
12. What issue of a religious character will all the world face just before Jesus comes? Revelation 13:12, 15-17; 14:9-112.
Fearful is the Issue to which the world is to be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments of God, will decree that all, “both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond” (Revelation 13:16), shall conform to the customs Of the church by the observance of the false Sabbath. All who refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of death. The Great Controversy, 604:2.
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember:
Luke 21:34, 35
2 Timothy 3:1-5
2 Peter 3:3, 4
Define or Identify:
Blaspheme
Decree
Trucebreaker
Deception
Surfeiting
Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. James 5:8.
There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God’s word, they would find a solution of the problems that perplex them.
The Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ’s Second Coming. Of the men who by robbery and extortion are amassing great riches, it is written: “You have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.” James 5:3, 4 Testimoities, Volume 9, 133, 4.
Strife of Nations
1. What did Jeremiah say the Lord has with the nations? Jeremiah 25:31.
For six thousand years the great controversy has been in progress; the Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in conflict with the power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decision; the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now the controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. The Great Controversy, 656:1.
2. What did the Lord say would “go forth from nation to nation”? Jeremiah 25:32, first part.
3. Mat would be the result of this evil? Jeremiah 25:32, last part.
4. How does Joel refer to this same time of strife between the nations? Joel 3:9-12.
5. When did John say the nations would be angry? Revelation 11: 18.
We are standing upon the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling. Strange, eventful
history is being recorded In the books of heaven. Everything in our world is in agitation. There are wars and rumors of wars. The nations are angry, and the time of the dead has come, that they should be judged. But while already nation is rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there is not now a general engagement. As yet the four winds are held, until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Testimonies, Volume 6, 14:1.
Beyond the sin and destruction of our present world is the promised new earth.
Strife Over Money
6. How many are entitled to a share in the natural wealth of the world? Ecclesiastes 5:9.
7. Which commandment safeguards the rights of the individual? Exodus 20:15; Leviticus 19:11.
8. The eighth commandment is violated by many in the world today:
9. For what time did James say men would heap treasure together? James 5:21, 7.
10. What would this wealth cause the rich men to do in “the last days”? James 5:1-3.
11. How has this ill-gotten gain been accumulated? James 5:4.
The word of God speaks of “the hire of the laborers which is of you kept back by fraud.” [James 5:4] This is generally understood to apply to wealthy men who employ servants and do not pay them for their labor, but it has a broader meaning than this. It applies with great force to those who have been enlightened by the Spirit of God and yet in any degree work upon the same principle that these men do in hiring servants, grinding them down to the lowest price. Testimonies, Volume 5, 375:2.
12. How will the laborers try to defend themselves? James 5:4.
“The hire of the laborers cries.”
Look at any port of the world today and you will see the fulfillment of this prophecy. In American and in other ports of the Western world, the laborers are highly organized in labor unions, and thus protect their interests; but in many other countries of the world, seething unrest and strife exist between the rich and the poor. Throughout the world capital and labor exist in strained relationships.
13. Note how the rich live and how the “just” have been treated. James 5:5, 6.
14. What is God’s counsel to those who are unjustly treated? James 5:7, 8.
For Years 1 have been given special light that we are not to center our work in the cities. The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God’s planning but the planning of a power that should in no wise acknowledge. God’s word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned.
We are now to use all our entrusted capabilities in giving the last warning message to the world. In this work we are to preserve our individuality. We are not to unite with secret societies or with trade unions. We are to stand free in God, looking constantly to Christ for instruction. All our movements are to be made with a realization of the importance of the work to be accomplished for God. Testimonies, Volume 7, 84:2, 3.
16. How does Isaiah describe the same time to which James refers? Isaiah 2:2, 7-9.
17. Read carefully what Paul has to say about riches and how they are to be used. 1 Timothy 6:13-11, 17-19.
18. What attribute is especially needed by Christians today? James 5:8.
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember:
Isaiah 2:2, 7-9
James 5:1-8
Revelation 11: 18
Define or Identify
Attribute
Exploit
Vindicate
Controversy
Exhortation
But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4.
The “words” and “book” [Daniel 12:4] here spoken of doubtless refer to the things which had been revealed to Daniel in this prophecy
Increase of Knowledge. “And knowledge shall be increased.” [Daniel 12:4.] This must refer either to the increase of knowledge in general, the development of the arts and sciences, or an increase of knowledge in reference to those things revealed to Daniel, which were closed and sealed to the time of the end. Here, again, apply it which way we will, the fulfillment is most marked and complete. Uriah Smith, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, 313:4.
Biblical Knowledge
“The time of the end” began at the close of the 1260-year period, or in the year 1798.
2. Before the invention of the printing press how was the word of God made available to those who could read it?
The art of printing being still unknown, it was only by slow and wearisome labor that copies of the Bible could be multiplied. So great was the interest to obtain the book, that many willingly engaged in the work of transcribing it, but it was with difficulty that the copyists could supply the demand. The Great Controversy, 88:1
3. What change took place with the invention of printing?
The improvements in printing have given an Impetus to the work of circulating the Bible. The increased facilities for communication between different countries, the breaking down of ancient barriers of prejudice and national exclusiveness, and the loss of secular power by the pontiff of Rome, have opened the way for the entrance of the word of God. The Great Controversy, 288: 1.
4. At the beginning of the period of “the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4) what societies were formed for the dissemination of the word of God?
The Religious Tract Society of London was organized in 1799, the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, the American Bible Society in 1816, and the American Tract Society in 1825. In 1948 the Bible had been translated into a total of 1,090 languages and dialects. To all parts of the globe have gone forth hundreds of millions of copies of the Scriptures, and countless pages of tracts, pamphlets, and religious papers disseminating knowledge of the truths of salvation. Bible Readings for the Home, 316:1.
5. What did the finding of the Rosetta stone have to do with the understanding of the Bible? It was the key to the Egyptian hieroglyphics, corroborating Bible statements.
6. What message began to be preached shortly after the beginning of “the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4) to give further impetus to the study of God’s word? Daniel 8: 14; Revelation 14:6, 7.
Note particularly that following the French Revolution and the ending of the 1260 years, the greatest shift in the center of prophetic interest and emphasis recorded in history is to be found. This was from Daniel 7-with the fourth empire, the subsequent divisions, the emergence of the little horn, and now the ending of that allotted period-over to Daniel 8:14, with the ending of the 2300 year-days and the cleansing of the “sanctuary” about 1843, 1844, or 1847. And with it came to be coupled the warning of the great judgment hour impending. Nothing like it had ever been proclaimed before. Simultaneously, in England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Scandinavia, America, India, Northern Africa, and the Near East, a growing chorus of voices [was] heard, springing up independently but proclaiming the same message and prophetic time period. LeRoy E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Volume 3,10:4.
This great galaxy of Old World witnesses, two hundred strong, produced hundreds of separate books and pamphlets, and Issued some fourteen periodicals devoted chiefly to prophetic discussion. LeRoy E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Volume 3,14:2.
7. How has this affected the spreading of the gospel in all the world?
As never before it is possible to acquaint men the world around with the gospel. The many means of communication-the radio [and television] and the airplane, added to the seemingly more prosaic contributions of earlier days, the printed page, the railway, the steamship, and the automobile make physically feasible the reaching of all men. Christian communities in almost every land and among almost every tribe and nation provide, as never before, nuclei for the spread of the faith. The disintegration of cultures carries with it in many lands the lessening of resistance to the gospel. Kenneth Scott Latourette, The Christian Outlook, 1st ed., 200. 201.
3. The nineteenth century was a period of awakening of Christians to their missionary responsibility.
Supported by the churches and mission boards, missionaries began work in country after country as may be seen below:
1793 William Carey to India.
1807 Robert Morrison to China.
1811 Henry Martin to Persia.
1813 Adoniram Judson to Burma.
1816 John Williams to Society Islands.
1817 Robert Moffat to Southern Africa.
1819 Pioneers to Syria.
1833 Siam entered
1838 James Calvert to Fiji.
1841 David Livingstone to Southern Africa.
1842 First ports opened in China by treaty.
1853 Japan opened by Commodore Perry; first Protestant missionaries came six years later.
1858 John G. Paton to New Hebrides.
1874 J. N. Andrews, first Seventh-day Adventist foreign missionary.
1875 First Protestant missionaries to Korea.
1885 First Seventh-day Adventist work in Australia.
1894 First Seventh-day Adventist “heathen mission,” Solusi, Africa.
1898 First Protestant work in Philippines.
Scientific Knowledge
Up to the time of Christ, only ten of these commonly known elements had been discovered. Another was discovered in the thirteenth century, another in the fifteenth, and nearly ninety more since the seventeenth century, mostly since the beginning of “the time of the end.”
10. How does the present generation compare in modern equipment with former generations?
Before 1830, change in man’s way of life was almost imperceptible. A wheel turned no faster in Hannibal’s time than it did in George Washington’s. It took just as long to cultivate a wheat field in Egypt in 5000 BC as it did anywhere at the turn of the nineteenth century. The clothing worn by any of the Roman Caesars could not have been made more quickly until the invention of machines more than fifteen hundred years later. The speed of technological change was almost as slow as that of life itself.
Then suddenly, with the utilization of steam and electricity, more changes were made in technology in two generations than in all the thousands of years of previous human history put together. Wheels and machines turned so fast that man could cover more distances in one day than he used to be able to do in a lifetime. Fields that once defied many men were brought under cultivation through the use of machines. Some idea of the extent of these changes and the clopped brevity with which they took place may be gained by comparing them with previous technological milestones in human history. Norman Cousin, Modern Man Is Obsolete, 15:3 to 16:1.
11. The discoveries or inventions of importance from 1798 to 1941 might be listed as follows:
Fulton’s first steamboat in 1803. Power printing press in 1811. Steam railway in 1825. Mower and reaper in 1831. Electric telegraph in 1836. Vulcanized rubber in 1839. Photography in 1839. Anesthesia in 1846. Sewing machine in 1846. Bessemer steel in 1856. Machine gun in 1861. Ironclad war vessel in 1862. Typewriter in 1864. Pasteur’s germ theory in 1864. Air brake in 1869. Telephone in 1876. Phonograph in 18.77. Electric railway in 1879. Incandescent electric light in 1879. Gasoline engine in 1883. Steam turbine in 1884. Linotype in 1885. Automobile in 1892. Motion pictures in 1893. X ray in 1895. Wireless telegraphy in 1895. Radium in 1898. Wireless telephony in 1902. First piloted airplane in 1903. Radio broadcasting in 1920. Insulin in 1922. Television broadcasting in 1936. Jet turbine in 1937. Penicillin in 1938. Shipboard radar in 1938. Atomic bomb in 1945. Bible Readings For the Home, 316:5.
12. Inventions in the “atomic age” have been so numerous and cover such a wide spread of utilities, as well as implements of war, that it would be difficult to formulate a list that would be really valid. From January 1, 1942 to April 30, 1951, a total of 281,830 patents were issued by the Patent Office of the United States of America alone, an average of 2,427 a month for those 112 months.
Think This Through:
Text to Remember: Daniel 12:4
Define or Identify:
Disseminate
Rosetta stone
Little horn
“The time of the end”
Pontiff
And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven. Acts 1: 9-11.
Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror with anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” [Revelation 5:11] No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head, but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. The Great Controversy, 641:0.
His Promise
The Time of Jesus’ Coming
4. Has the exact time of Christ’s coming been revealed? Matthew 24:36.
5. But can we know the approximate time?
“Every Eye Shall See Him”
6. Who will see Jesus when He comes? Matthew 24:27; Revelation 1:7.
7. Will both the righteous and the wicked see Jesus when He comes? Isaiah 25:9; Matthew 24: 30; Revelation 6:15-17.
8. How can we know Jesus will come in person?
“This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. We may behold the light of truth for our times if we put aside our doubts and fears.
c. “Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds.” Matthew 24:30.
d. We cannot spiritualize, saying, “It is the eye of faith,” because: The wicked say, “Hide us from the face of Him.” Revelation 6:16. NOTE: The wicked will not have faith, will they?
Jesus Will Come as a King
9. As Jesus rides forth on His return, what title does He have? Revelation 19:11-16.
10. What does He wear on His head? Revelation 19:12.
No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head, but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. The Great Controversy, 641: 0.
Then I saw Jesus lay off His priestly attire, and clothe Himself with His most kingly robes. Upon Ills head were many crowns, a crown within a crown. Surrounded by the angelic host, He left heaven. Early Writings, 281:1.
His Coming Will Not Be in Secret
11. Will this event be effected quietly or in secret? Psalm 50:3; Jeremiah 25:30-32; Joel 3:16.
12. What warning do we have that makes us know He will not be in any secret place? Matthew 24:26.
13. How will Jesus speak when He comes? 1 Thessalonians 4,16, 17.
Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then raising His hands to heaven He cries, “Awake, awake, awake, you that sleep in the dust, and arise!” Throughout the length and breadth of the earth, the dead shall hear that voice; and they that hear shall live. The Great Controversy, 644:2.
14. The mount of transfiguration was the Second Coming of Christ in miniature. Note how this miniature representation compares with the prophecies concerning the second coming of Christ. Matthew 17:2-6.
On the Mount of Transfiguration-Matthew 17
The Actual Event
Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature. Christ the King, Moses a representative of the risen saints, and Elijah of the translated ones. The Desire of Ages, 422:0.
Think This Through:
Texts to Remember: Psalm 50:3
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 Acts 1:9-11
Revelation 1:7
Define or Identify:
Abyss
Anthem
Delusion
Propagation
Diadem
Repudiate
Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes. Matthew 24:44.
God’s message for the inhabitants of earth today is, “Be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man cometh.11 Matthew 24:44. The conditions prevailing in society, and especially in the great cities of the nations, proclaim in thunder tones that the hour of God’s judgment is come, and that the end of all things earthly is at hand. We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another-fire, and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to be surprised at this time by events both great and decisive; for the angel of mercy cannot remain much longer to shelter the impenitent. Prophets and Kings, 278:1.
We Are Admonished to Be Ready
To prepare a people to stand in the day of God, a great work of reform was to be accomplished. God saw that many of His professed people were not building for eternity, and in His mercy He was about to send a message of warning to arouse them from their stupor, and lead them to make ready for the coming of the Lord. The Great Controversy, 311:2.
And to those who refuse to arouse from their careless security, the solemn warning is addressed, “If therefore thou shall not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shall not know what hour I will come upon thee!” Revelation 3:1
The prophet Jeremiah, looking forward to this fearful time, exclaimed: “I am pained at my very heart!” Jeremiah 4:19-The Great Controversy, 310:0,2.
Three Parables Stress
Importance of Preparation
3. How did Jesus in His teachings try to stress the importance of being ready?
a. In the parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 25:1-13.
As Christ sat looking upon the party that waited for the bridegroom, He told His disciples the story of the ten virgins, by their experience illustrating the experience of the church that shall live just before His Second Coming.
The two classes of watchers represent the two classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps are represented the word of God. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Christ’s Object Lessons, 406:2,3.
The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s working. Their service to God degenerates into a form. This is the class that in time of peril are found crying, Peace and safety. It is in a crisis that character is revealed. The great final test comes at the close of human probation, when it will be too late for the soul’s need to be supplied.
The ten virgins are watching in the evening of this earth’s history. All claim to be Christians. All have a call, a name, a lamp, and all profess to be doing God’s service. All apparently wait for Christ’s appearing. But five are unready. Five will be found surprised, dismayed, outside the banquet hall. Christ’s Object Lessons, 411:1 to 412:2.
b. In the parable of the wedding garment. Matthew 22:1-14.
The parable of the wedding garment opens before us a lesson of the highest consequence. By the marriage is represented the union of humanity with divinity; the wedding garment represents the character which all must possess who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding. Christ’s Object Lessons, 307:1.
When the king came in to view the guests, the real character of all was revealed. For every guest at the feast there had been provided a wedding garment. This garment was a gift from the king. By wearing it the guests showed their respect for the giver of the feast. But one man was clothed in his common citizen dress. He had refused to make the preparation required by the king. The garment provided for him at great cost he disdained to wear. Thus he insulted his lord. To the king’s demand, “How came thou in hither not having a wedding garment?” [Mat. thew 22:12] he could answer nothing. He was self-condemned. Then the king said, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness!” [Matthew 22:13]
By the king’s examination of the guests at the feast is represented a work of judgment. It is while men are still dwelling upon the earth that the work of investigative judgment takes place in the courts of heaven. Christ’s Object Lessons, 309:3 to 310:2.
This robe, woven in the loom of heaven, has in it not one thread of human devising. Christ in His humanity wrought out a perfect character, and this character He offers to impart to us. Christ’s Object Lessons, 311:4.
In the parable, when the king inquired, “How came thou in hither not having a wedding garment?” [Matthew 22:12] the man was speechless. So it will be in the great judgment day. Men may now excuse their defects of character, but in that day they will offer no excuse. Christ’s Object Lessons, 317:1.
There will be no future probation in which to prepare for eternity. It is in this life that we are to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. This is our only opportunity to form characters for the home which Christ has made ready for those who obey His commandments. Christ’s Object Lessons, 319:1.
(For further reading on this parable see Christ’s Object Lessons, 307-319.)
C. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Luke 16:19-31.
The closing scenes of this earth’s history are portrayed in the closing of the rich man’s history. The rich man claimed to be a son of Abraham, but he was separated from Abraham by an impassable gulf-a character wrongly developed. Abraham served God, following His word in faith and obedience. But the rich man was unmindful of God, and of the needs of suffering humanity. The great gulf fixed between him and Abraham was the gulf of disobedience. There are many today who are following the same course. Christ’s Object Lessons, 269:3.
To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character. But those who do not appreciate and utilize the precious opportunities and sacred influences granted them on earth, are not fitted to take part in the pure devotion of heaven. Their characters are not molded according to the divine similitude. By their own neglect they have formed a chasm which nothing can bridge. Between them and the righteous there is a great gulf fixed. Christ’s Object Lessons, 271:1.
Importance of Bible Study Now
None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict-The Great Controversy, 593:2.
Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures, and who have received the love of the truth, will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. The Great Controversy, 625:1
5. What example do we have of a church that was faithful in Bible study? Acts 17:10-12. “They [the Bereans] made a daily study of the Scriptures” Acts 17: 11 (Moffatt’s Translation).
6. What counsel has been given us as to how we should Study the word?
As our physical life is sustained by food, so our spiritual life is sustained by the word of God. And every soul is to receive life from God’s word for himself. As we must eat for ourselves in order to receive nourishment, so we must receive the word of God for ourselves. We are not to obtain it merely through the medium of another’s mind. We should carefully study the Bible, asking God for the aid of the Holy Spirit, that we may understand His word. We should take one verse, and concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the thought which God has put in that verse for us. We should dwell upon the thought until it becomes our own, and we know “what said the Lord.” The Desire of Ages, 390:4.
Think It Through:
Texts to Remember:
Matthew 24:44
Matthew 25:1-13
Luke 12:40
Luke 16:19-31
Define or Identify:
Archangel
Covenant
Wrath
For the Lord 111mself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
At His coming the righteous dead will be raised, and the righteous living will he changed. “We shall not all sleep” says Paul, “but we shall all he changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. The Great Controversy, 322:1.
The Righteous
Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended, on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, “Awake! Awake! Awake! You that sleep in the dust, and arise.” Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with Immortality. The 144,000 shouted, “Alleluia!” as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Early Writings, 16:1.
A Special Resurrection
(Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opponents of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient. The Great Controversy, 637:2.
Our Savior bridged the gulf between heaven and earth that we might have eternal life.
7. Who are included in the “some to everlasting life” in Daniel 12:2?
Graves are opened, and “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. The Great Controversy, 637:2.
The Righteous Living
8. What experience awaits the righteous living at Christ’s coming? 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
The living righteous are changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-53. At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made Immortal, and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God. The Great Controversy, 645:1.
The Wicked, Both Dead and Living
9. How does the coming of Christ affect the wicked dead?
They are not affected at all, excepting the few who are referred to in Revelation 1:7, who have been raised in the special resurrection.
10. Since the wicked dead are not resurrected at Christ’s Second Coming, will they ever be called to life? John 5:28, 29; Revelation 20:5.
11. What will be the experience of the wicked living at the glorious appearing of Jesus with all the holy angels? Revelation 6: 14-16.
The derisive jests have ceased.. Lying lips are hushed into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, “with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood” (Isaiah 9.5), is stilled. Naught now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of weeping and lamentation. The cry bursts forth from lips so lately scoffing, “The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:17. The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the mountains, rather than meet the face of Him whom they have despised and rejected.
That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they know. How often have its plaintive, tender tones called them to repentance That voice awakens memories which they would wish blotted out-warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted. The Great Controversy, 642:2,3.
12. While the righteous living will be translated, what will be the experience of the wicked living at Christ’s Second Coming? 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10.
The mark of deliverance has been set upon those “that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done!” [Ezekiel 9:4] Now the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel’s vision by the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is given: “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women. But come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” Says the prophet, “They began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezekiel 9:6. The work of destruction begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people. The false watchmen are the first to fall. There are none to pity or to spare. Men, women, maidens, and little children perish together.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor!” Zechariah 14:13. In the mad strife of their own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants of the earth-priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and low. “And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented neither gathered, nor buried!” Jeremiah 25:33.
At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face of the whole earth, consumed with the spirit of His mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of His glory. The Great Controversy, 656:2 to 657:2.
At Christ’s Coming Righteous:
Living-will be translated. (Not die.)
Dead---called from the grave.
Wicked:
Living-perish.
Dead-remain dead till second resurrection.
Think It Through:
In which of these last three mentioned groups do you want to be?
Texts to Remember: Daniel 12:2
2 Thessalonians 1:7,8
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17
Revelation 1: 7
Define or Identify:
Ascertain
Delusion
Impenitent
Probation
Devising
Symbol
And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Revelation 20:4.
After the saints are changed to immortality and caught up together with Jesus, after they receive their harps, their, robes, and their crowns, and enter the city, Jesus and the saints sit in judgment. The books are opened the book of life and the book of death. The book of life contains the good deeds of the saints, and the book of death contains the evil deeds of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible, and according to that men are judged. The saints, in unison with Jesus, pass their judgment upon the wicked dead. Early Writings, 52:2.
Beginning of the Millennium
1. What events mark the beginning of the thousand years?
2. What is meant by the binding of Satan?
The revelator foretells the banishment of Satan, and the condition of chaos and desolation to, which the earth is to be reduced; and he declares that this condition will exist for a thousand years. The Great Controversy, 658:2.
Even the wicked are now placed beyond the power of Satan; and alone with his evil angels he remains to realize the effect of the curse which sin has brought. For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the desolate earth, to behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. The Great Controversy, 660:1, 2.
Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to other worlds, to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen. It is in this sense that he is bound: there are none remaining, upon whom he can exercise his power. He is wholly cut off from the work of deception and ruin which for so many centuries has been his sole delight. The Great Controversy, 659: 1.
The redeemed will be able to examine heaven’s record and ace God’s just actions.
The Thousand-Year Period
3. Mat will be taking place during this long period?
During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection, the judgment of the wicked takes place. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, “the saints shall judge the world.” 1 Corinthians 6:2. The Great Controversy, 660:4.
b. The wicked are all dead. 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8; 2:8.
c. Satan is bound by a chain of circumstances-no one to tempt:
4. What picture does Jeremiah give of the earth at this time? Jeremiah 4:23-26.
Looking forward to the great day of God, the prophet Jeremiah declares: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down!” Jeremiah 4:23-26. The Great Controversy, 659:0.
Events at the Close of the Millennium
5. Events to take place at the close of the thousand years:
As the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth, with the same enmity to Christ, and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation, in which to remedy the defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained by this. A lifetime of transgression has not softened their hearts. The Great Controversy, 662:2.
b. “Satan shall be loosed, and shall go out to deceive.” Revelation 20:7, 8.
As the wicked dead are raised, and he [Satan] sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy Yet, true to his early cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world, and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves, and that he is about to rescue them from the most cruel tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong, and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints, and to take possession of the City of God. The Great Controversy, 663:1.
c. “The Holy City, New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21.2) comes down from heaven. Revelation 20:9; 21:2. Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the promise of His return. As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven, it rests upon the place, purified and made ready to receive it, and Christ, with His people and the angels, enters the Holy City. The Great Controversy, 662:3.
At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on-an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this final struggle. With military precision, the serried ranks advance over the earth’s broken and uneven surface to the City of God. By command of Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city, and make ready for the onset. The Great Controversy, 664:1
e. Fire from God out of heaven devours the wicked. Revelation 20:9.
Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God’s justice, and to how to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with frenzy, he determines not to yield the great controversy. The time has come for a last desperate struggle against the King of heaven. He rushes into the midst of his subjects, and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury, and arouse them to instant battle. But of all the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, there are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them.
Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass-a vast, seething lake of fire. The Great Controversy, 671:2; 672:2.
f. “A new heaven and a new earth.” 2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 21:1-5.
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth!” Revelation 21:1 The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away.
One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. The earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin has been restored. Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous.
It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called a country. (Hebrews 11:14-16) There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven. There will be no more tears, no funeral trains, no badges of mourning. There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the glorified new earth. The Great Controversy, 674:1 to 676:2.
6. In what condition will the universe then be?
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their perfect shadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love. The Great Controversy, 678:3.
Think It Through:
5. Once probation has closed, there will be no “second chance” for man to repent. All doctrines taught to that end are a delusion, and many will be lost who expected to have the privilege of perfecting a character that would stand in the judgment. The millennium will not be used for any such purpose.
With which group will you be during the millennium among the righteous in heaven, or with those who have been destroyed by the brightness of His coming? The answer rests entirely with you.
Texts to Remember:
Jeremiah 4:23-26
Revelation 20
Revelation 21
Define or Identify:
Atom
Delude
Millennium
Tyranny
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. 2 Peter 3:13.
In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called a country. (Hebrews 11:14-16.) There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home. The Great Controversy, 675:1.
Creation of New Earth
4. Out of this chaos, what will come forth? Isaiah 66:22, 23; Revelation 21: 1.
I then looked and saw the fire which had consumed the wicked, burning up the rubbish and purifying the earth. Again I looked, and saw the earth purified. There was not a single sign of the curse. The broken, uneven surface of the earth now looked like a level, extensive plain. God’s entire universe was clean, and the great controversy forever ended. Wherever we looked, everything upon which the eye rested was beautiful and holy. The beautiful new earth with all its glory, was the eternal inheritance of the saints. Early Writings, 295:1.
Life in the New Earth
5. For what purpose was the earth created? Isaiah 45:18.
6. To whom has God given the earth? Psalm 115:16; Matthew 5:5.
7.Where are the righteous to be rewarded? Proverbs 11:31.
8.What conditions will prevail in the new earth?
a. For the hand-Isaiah 65:2123.
b. For the head-
c. For the heart-
9. In what way will the new earth be different?
a. From what we now know:
b. From what Adam knew:
(5)”The light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days.” Isaiah 30:26.
(6) Christ retains His wounds. Zechariah 13:6.
One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. The Great Controversy, 674:2.
10. Shall we know each other there? 1. Corinthians 13:12. (See Early Writings, 17.) There we shall know even as also we are known. Education, 306:2.
11. What about our sad and sinful experiences on this earth? Micah 7:19; Revelation 21:4.
12. Will “affliction” come upon this earth again? Nahum 1:9.
Think This Through:
Texts to Be Remembered:
Isaiah 45:18
2 Peter 3:13
Isaiah 66:22, 23
Revelation 21:14
Define or Identify:
Chaos
Consume
Inhabit
Pilgrim
Ransom
And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12.
The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and re-echoes through the vaults of heaven, “Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” [Revelation 7:10.] And angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. As the redeemed have beheld the power and malignity of Satan, they have seen, as never before, that no power but that of Christ could have made them conquerors. In all that shining throng there are none to ascribe salvation to themselves, as if they had prevailed by their own power and goodness. Nothing is said of what they have done or suffered; but the burden of every song, the keynote of every anthem, is Salvation to our God, and unto the Lamb. The Great Controversy, 665:3.
The Certainty of Jesus’ Return
Signs in the Heavens and Earth
Signs in the Social and Religious World
Signs in the Political and Economic World
“Knowledge Shall Be Increased”
The Time and the Manner of Christ’s Coming
“Be You Also Ready”
What Will Happen When Christ Comes
One Thousand Years in Heaven
An Eternity on Earth
Who said, to whom, and under what circumstances?
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.” Matthew 25:1-13.
12. “Be you therefore ready also: for the Son of man comes at an hour when you think not.” Luke 12:40.
13. “There Was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:19-31.
14. “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity. The sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25, 26.
15. “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Luke 21:34, 35.
16. “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go ‘and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.
17. “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11.
18. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
19. “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8.
ATWATER, EDWARD E., History and Significance of the Sacred Tabernacle of the Hebrews. New York: Dodd and Meade, 1875. 448 p.
Bible Readings for the Home. Washington, D.C.: Review and Her, aid Publishing Association, 1949. 768 p.
BRANSON, WILLIAM HENRY, Drama of the Ages. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1950. 584 p.
BRUNO, JOSEPH FAA Di, Catholic Belief: or, A Short and Simple Exposition of Catholic Doctrine, 5th edition. London: Burns and Oates. 427 p.
BUCKLEY, THEODORE ALOIS, The Catechism of the Council of Trent. London: George Routledge and Company, Farringdon Street, 1852. 591 p.
BUNCH, TAYLOR G., The Ten Commandments. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1944. 190 p.
California Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. Los Angeles, California. Monthly.
Catholic Encyclopedia, The, 15 volumes. New York: The Encyclopedia Press, 1913, Vol. 4, 799 p. -
Catholic Mirror, The. Springfield, Massachusetts: The Mirror Press, Inc., 1387 Main Street. Monthly.
Catholic Universe Bulletin, The. Cleveland, Ohio: Catholic Press Union, Inc., 1027 Superior Avenue.
CLARKE, ADAM, The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments, With a Commentary and Critical Notes, 4 volumes, Old Testament; 2 volumes, New Testament. New York: The Methodist Book Concern. Vol. 2, 829 pages.
CLOW, D. D., The Bible Reader’s Encyclopedia and Concordance. New York: Collins’s Clear-Type Press.
Collection of Massachusetts Historical Society. Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street. Published Infrequently.
COLLETT, SIDNEY, All About the Bible. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company. 328 p.
COUSINS, NORMAN, Modern Man Is Obsolete. New York: The Viking Press, 1945. 59 p.
COX, ROBERT, Sabbath Laws and Sabbath Duties Considered in Relation to Their Natural and Spiritual Grounds and to the Principles of Religious Liberty. Edinburgh:, MacLachlan and Stewart, 1853. 598 p.
CUMONT, FRANZ, Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks. New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1912. 208 p.
DANIELLS, ARTHUR G., Christ Our Righteousness. Washington, D.C.: The Ministerial Association of
Seventh-day Adventists, 1941. 129 Pages.
DAVIS, JOHN D., and GEFTMAN, HENRY SNYDER, The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible. Philadelphia:
The Westminster Press, 1944. 658 p., plus maps.
DEHARBE, S. J. JOSEPH, A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion. New York: Schwartz, Kirwin, and
Fauss, 1908. 330 p.
EMMERSON, W. L., The Bible Speaks. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1949.
704 p.
Encyclopedia Americana, The. New York: Americana Corporation, 30 volumes, 1941.
Encyclopedia Britannica, The, 11th edition, 29 volumes. Cambridge, England: The University Press, 1911. Volume 26, 1,064 pages.
EVANS, ADELAIDE BEE, The Bible Year. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1918. 163 p.
FAUSETT, ANDREW R., Bible Cyclopedia, Critical and Expository. Hartford, Connecticut: The S. S. Scranton
Company, 1907. 753 p.
FROOM, LE Roy EDWIN, The Coming of the Comforter. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 1928. 208 p.
FROOM, LE Roy EDWIN, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, 3 volumes. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald
Publishing Association. Vol. 1, 1950, 1,006 p.; 2, 1948, 863 p.; 3, 1946, 802 p.
GRIERMAN, PETER, The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine. 14th edition. Saint Louis, Missouri: B. Herder
Book Company, 15 and 17 South Broadway, 1940. 110 p.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Church Manual. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 1951. 297. p.
GIBBON, EDWARD, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
GIBBONS, JAMS CARDINAL, The Faith of Our Fathers, 76th edition. Baltimore, Maryland: John Murphy
Company, 1904. 410 p.
GILBERT, F. C., Practical Lessons From the Experience of Israel. Concord, Massachusetts: Good Tidings Press, 1914. 826 p.
GREENFIELD, WILLIAM, A Greek Lexicon to the New Testament. London: Samuel Bagster and Sons, 15
Paternoster Row. 96 p.
HASTINGS, H. L., Will the Old Book Stand? Washington, D.C. Review and Herald Publishing Association. 349 p.
HASTINGS, JAMES, Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1918. 992 p.
HAYNES, CARLYLE B., Our Lord’s Return. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1948. 95 P.
HEFELE, CHARLES JOSEPH, A History of the Councils of the Church, 5 volumes. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 38
George Street, 1896. Vol. 2, 503 p.
Holy Bible, The. American Revised Version. New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 37 East Eighteenth Street, 1901.
BERKLEY Version of the New Testament translated by Gerrit Verkuyl. Berkeley, California: James J. Gillick & Company, 2061 Center Street, 1945. 672 p.
Bernard, H., Translation of the Bible.
Boothroyd’s Version, edited by B. Boothroyd. London: James Duncan, 37 Paternoster Row, 1838. 917 + 308 p.
Companion Bible, The. 4 volumes. London, New York, Toronto, Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Douay Version. New York: The Douay Bible House, 1944.
King James Version.
Modern Reader’s Bible. The, edited by Richard G. Moulton. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1930.
Moffatt’s Translation. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1935.
New Testament, The, According to the Eastern Text, edited by George M. Lamsa. Philadelphia: A. J. Holman Company, 1940. 527 p.
New Testament in Basic English, edited by S. H. Hooke. New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1941.
New Testament, Westminster Version. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press. Revised Version.
Young’s Literal Translation, translated by Robert Young. Edinburgh: A Fullerton and Company, 1863.
JACOBUS, M. W., NOURSE, E. E., and ZENOS, A. C., A Standard Bible Dictionary. New York: Funk and Wagnalls Company, 1909. 920 p.
JAMIESON, R., FAUSSET, A. R., and BROWN, DAVID, A Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House. 605 p.
KEENAN, REV. STEPHEN, A Doctrinal Catechism. New York: P. J. Kennedy, Excelsior Catholic Publishing House, 5 Barclay Street, 1876. 395 p.
LATOURETTE, KENNETH SCOTT, The Christian Outlook. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1948. 229 p.
LATTRY, CUTFIBERT, and MURRAY, JOHN, The New Testament, The Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures. New York: Longmans, Green, and Company. 479 p.
Life and Times of the Old Testament. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1949. 568 p.
LITCH, JOSIAH, Prophetic Expositions. Boston: Joshua V. Himes, 14 Devonshire Street, 1842. Vol. 2. MARSH, FRANK L.,
Evolution, Creation, and Science. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1944. 304 p.
MERLE DE AUBIGNE, J. H., The History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, Volume 4. New York: The American Tract Society, 150 Nassau Street, 1848. 470 p.
MOODY, DWIGHT L., Weighed and Wanting. Chicago. The Bible Institute Colportage Association, North Wells Street, 1898. 125 p.
MOULTON, RICHARD G., The Modern Readers Bible. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1940.
PECK, SARAH E., God’s Great Plan. Mountain View, California. Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1940. 508 p.
PRICE, IRA MAURICE, The Ancestry of Our English Bible. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1937. 350 p.
Recreational Plans for Missionary Volunteers. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1943. 320 p.
ROBINSON, T., The Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary, Book of Daniel. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1892. 324 p.
Rotarian, The. Chicago: Rotary Institute, 35 East Wacker Drive. Monthly paper.
SCHAFF, PHILLIP, Church and State in the United States. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1888.
SMITH, URIAH, Here and Hereafter or Man in Life and Death. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1897. 357 p.
SMITH, URIAH, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1944.
Source Book for Bible Students. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1927.
SPALDING, ARTHUR W., Makers of the Home. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1945. 282 p.
STRONG, JAMES, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Chicago: The Methodist Book Concern, 1890. 1,340 p., plus three appendices.
THOMPSON, AUGUSTUS C., Morning Hours in Patmos. Boston, Massachusetts: Gould and Lincoln, 1860. 268 p.
WANGERIN, THEODORA S., Genesis to Revelation. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1947. 96 p.
WESLEY, JOHN, Explanatory Notes on the New Testament. New York: Carleton and Phillips, 1854.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Christian Education. Battle Creek, Michigan: International Tract Society, 1893. 255 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Christ’s Object Lessons. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900. 436 p. Conflict of the Ages Series.
WHITE, ELLEN G. The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1913. 793 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. The Story of Prophets and Kings as Illustrated in the Captivity and Restoration of Israel. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943. 753 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. The Desire of Ages. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1940. 863 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. The Acts of the Apostles in the Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911. 630 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911. 718 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Counsels on Health and Instruction to Medical Missionary Workers. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1923. 696 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Counsels on Sabbath School Work. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1938. 192 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943. 574 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Early Writings. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1945. 316 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Education. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1942. 320 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Fundamentals of Christian Education. Nashville, Tennessee: - Southern Publishing Association, 1923. 576 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Gospel Workers. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1915. 534 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Life Sketches of Ellen G. White. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943.480 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Medical Ministry. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1932. 348 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Messages to Young People. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1930. 502 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Ministry of Healing, The Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1942. 541 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Spiritual Gifts, 2 volumes. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1944, 1945. Facsimile reproduction of volumes 1, 2 (219 + 304 p.) and 3, 4 (304 + 160 p.).
WHITE, ELLEN G. Steps to Christ. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1908. 144 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Testimonies for the Church, volumes 1-9. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1948. Vol. 1, 724 p.; 2, 7331 p.; 3, 594 p.; 4, 679 p.; 5, 770 p.; 6, 499 p.; 7, 308 p.; 8, 350 p.; 9, 301 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Testimonies on Sabbath-School Work. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, ca. 1900. 121 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1944. 544 p.
WHITE, ELLEN G. Thoughts Prom the Mount of Blessing. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943. 218 p.