God's People Identified

Introduction: Throughout history God has had a special people with a special message. In this lesson we will discover who are God's special people in this age.

1. Who did God say would be His people? Eze. 34:30, 31 [Isa. 51:16 "Zion" was the hill on which Jerusalem was built and is used often as a symbol to refer to the descendants of Israel. Isa. 10:24; 37:22; Micah 4:8]

2. What was the sign that a person gave to become part of the House of Israel? (or part of God's people) Genesis 17:9-14 [Exodus 12:48 Note: It is important to understand that becoming part of the house of Israel was available not only to the blood descendants of Abraham but to all peoples and nations who were willing to come under the covenant relationship as Exodus 12:48 says.]

3. What did this sign represent? Deuteronomy 30:6 [Jeremiah 4:4]

4. What New covenant sign replaced the old covenant sign of circumcision and makes us a part of Israel? Gal. 3:26-29 [Col. 2:11, 12]

5. We belong to Christ by baptism and are Abraham's seed or part of Israel when we are baptized, so how is Spiritual or the professed Israel of today organized today? Gal. 1:2; 3:7; 6:16 [Ans: into churches Eph. 2:18-22]

6. What happened to those of Israel who rejected Jesus as the Messiah? Matt. 21:43 [Matt. 23:37, 38]

7. Does God always have a people, a true and faithful remnant of Israel even in times of apostasy? Rom. 9:27 [Rom. 11:5; Luke 12:32]

8. What symbol does God use to represent Israel (or Zion) in prophecy? Jer. 6:2 [Eph. 5:23; Rev. 19:7]

9. What are the two identifying marks of God's people in the last days (symbolized by a woman, His last or remnant people today)? Rev. 12:17

10. What is the testimony of Jesus? Rev. 19:10 [Rev. 22:9, 16 Note: The two texts in question eight and nine shoe that God's people in the last days will be a Sabbath-keeping people and will have the gift of prophecy in their midst.]

11. How do we know that God's professed people in the last days will be a worldwide fellowship or church? Rev. 14:6, 7 [Matt. 24:14]

12. How do we know that God's professed people in the lasts days will be a Christian people? Rev. 14:12 [Rev. 22:16, 17; Ans. Because they not only keep God's commandments  but have the faith of Jesus.]

13. Just as the Jews were the professed people of God in the time of Christ (although they were in an apostate condition) who are the professed people of God today who meet the above criteria?  [Ans. The professed people of God today who meet all the above criteria are the Seventh-day Adventists around the world because they (1) are professed Christians (2) profess to keep all the commandments including the fourth or Sabbath commandment and (3) are worldwide (4) and have the gift of prophecy in their midst.  Note: In 1844 God gave to this church the promised gift of prophecy through Ellen G. White. After two men, one after the other, refused to be God's messenger, He chose this 17-year old woman. She continued her inspired, prophetic ministry until she died in 1915. (See the book Prophet of the End.)]

14. What other women did God call to be His prophets? Luke 2:36; Judges 4:4 [Ex. 15:20; Isa. 8:3; 2 Kings 22:14; Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 21:9]

15. Just as the Jews were in a state of apostasy and most lost their souls in the time of Christ what does Ellen G. White predict will happen to professed Seventh-day Adventists in the last years of earth's history? [Ans. "In His Word the Lord declared what He would do for Israel if they would obey His voice. But the leaders of the people yielded to the temptations of Satan, and God could not give them the blessings He designed them to have, because they did not obey His voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer. This experience will be repeated in the last years of the history of the people of God, who have been established by His grace and power. Men whom He has greatly honored will in the closing scenes of this earth's history pattern after ancient Israel." (13MR, 379)  "The word of God plainly tells us that few will be saved, and that the greater number of those, even, who are called will prove themselves unworthy of everlasting life. They will have no part in heaven, but will have their portion with Satan, and experience the second death." (2T 293, 294)]

16. How can I avoid a bitter disappointment when Jesus comes and be part of His true and faithful remnant people who are prepared and ready to meet Him? Rev. 19:7, 8 [Rev. 14:12; James 1:22. Ans: "He (God) draws the dividing line between those who bear his name by profession, and those whose character shows them to be his children." Ellen G. White in ST, June 30, 1881.]

17. If I make a complete commitment of myself to God and surrender myself totally to Him, will He see to it that I am able to, by His grace to develop such a character? Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23, 24 [Mark 9:23, 24; 1 Cor. 10:12, 13]

Commitment: As responsible human beings in search of salvation, we must find the predicted remnant people of God in the last days and the reformation messenger God promised to send before His second coming. In Jesus day, because of the apostasy among God's people, Jesus' disciples had to be organized separately from the Jewish organization. In the same way because of apostasy from the commandments of God and the instruction of His reformation prophet, it has become necessary for the remnant to be organized separately from God's chosen people of today in many places.  If there is not a congregation of true and faithful remnant meeting the specifications of Revelation 12:17 and 19:10 in your area, you can still be part of the worldwide movement which is coming into harmony with every Word of God.

STEP 3 (Lessons 21-30): Becoming Part of Christ's Remnant People