Bible Study Guides

Bible Study Guides – Bible Symbols

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March 30, 2014 – April 5, 2014

The Lord Has Spoken

Key Text

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.

Study Help: Education, 173–184.

Introduction

“The solemn messages that have been given in their order in the Revelation are to occupy the first place in the minds of God’s people. Nothing else is to be allowed to engross our attention.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 302.

1 DREAMS AND VISIONS

  • Why is prophecy so important, and how does telling the future identify Jehovah as our Creator? Amos 3:7; Isaiah 46:9, 10; 41:21–23.

Note: “A revelation is something revealed. The Lord Himself revealed to His servant the mysteries contained in this book [of Revelation], 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.

  • How does the Lord reveal Himself to His prophets, and how can we distinguish the true prophets from the false ones? Hebrews 1:1; Numbers 12:6; Deuteronomy 13:1–5; Job 33:15, 16.

Note: “We shall encounter false claims; false prophets will arise; there will be false dreams and false visions; but preach the Word, be not drawn away from the voice of God in His Word.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 49.

2 INTEREST IN PROPHECY

  • What record do we have that men and women of God, even prophets themselves, took time to study the prophecies? Daniel 9:2. Besides the human race, who else is deeply involved in the study of prophecy? I Peter 1:9–12.

Note: “Even the prophets who were favored with the special illumination of the Spirit did not fully comprehend the import of the revelations committed to them. The meaning was to be unfolded from age to age, as the people of God should need the instruction therein contained. …

“While it was not given to the prophets to understand fully the things revealed to them, they earnestly sought to obtain all the light which God had been pleased to make manifest. They ‘inquired and searched diligently,’ ‘searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify.’ What a lesson to the people of God in the Christian age, for whose benefit these prophecies were given to His servants! ‘Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister’ (I Peter 1:10–12). Witness those holy men of God as they ‘inquired and searched diligently’ concerning revelations given them for generations that were yet unborn. Contrast their holy zeal with the listless unconcern with which the favored ones of later ages treat this gift of Heaven. What a rebuke to the ease-loving, world-loving indifference which is content to declare that the prophecies cannot be understood!” The Great Controversy, 344.

  • Why is the study of prophecy so important? Who gave these revelations to the godly men and women of old? II Peter 1:16–21.

Note: “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. All that prophecy has foretold as coming to pass, until the present time, has been traced on the pages of history, and we may be assured that all which is yet to come will be fulfilled in its order.” Prophets and Kings, 536.

“I AM means an eternal presence; the past, present, and future are alike to God. He sees the most remote events of past history, and the far distant future with as clear a vision as we do those things that are transpiring daily.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1099.

3 SYMBOLS

  • Why does God speak in symbols and parables? Matthew 13:10–14, 16.

Note: “Christ had truths to present which the people were unprepared to accept or even to understand. For this reason also He taught them in parables. By connecting His teaching with the scenes of life, experience, or nature, He secured their attention and impressed their hearts. Afterward, as they looked upon the objects that illustrated His lessons, they recalled the words of the divine Teacher. To minds that were open to the Holy Spirit, the significance of the Saviour’s teaching unfolded more and more. Mysteries grew clear, and that which had been hard to grasp became evident.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 21.

  • How can we correctly understand the illustrations and symbols used in Bible prophecy? I Corinthians 2:13; Isaiah 28:9–13.

Note: “The Pharisees of Christ’s day closed their eyes lest they should see, and their ears lest they should hear; therefore the truth could not reach their hearts. They were to suffer retribution for their willful ignorance and self-imposed blindness. But Christ taught His disciples that they were to open their minds to instruction, and be ready to believe. He pronounced a blessing upon them because they saw and heard with eyes and ears that believed. …

“Only he who receives the Scriptures as the voice of God speaking to himself is a true learner. He trembles at the word; for to him it is a living reality. He opens his understanding and his heart to receive it. …

“A knowledge of the truth depends not so much upon strength of intellect as upon pureness of purpose, the simplicity of an earnest, dependent faith. To those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance, angels of God draw near. The Holy Spirit is given to open to them the rich treasures of the truth. …

“Merely to hear or to read the word is not enough. He who desires to be profited by the Scriptures must meditate upon the truth that has been presented to him. By earnest attention and prayerful thought he must learn the meaning of the words of truth, and drink deep of the spirit of the holy oracles.

“God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 59, 60.

4 WIND AND SEA

  • What does wind often represent in prophecy? Jeremiah 25:32, 33; 4:13.

Note: “We hear now of earthquakes in divers places, of fires, of tempests, of disasters by sea and land, of pestilence, of famine. What weight do these signs have upon you? This is only the beginning of what shall be. The description of the day of God is given through John by the Revelator. The cry of the terror-stricken myriads has fallen upon the ear of John. ‘The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand’ (Revelation 6:17)? The apostle himself was awed and overwhelmed.

“If such scenes as this are to come, such tremendous judgments on a guilty world, where will be the refuge for God’s people? How will they be sheltered until the indignation be overpast? John sees the elements of nature—earthquake, tempest, and political strife—represented as being held by four angels. These winds are under control until God gives the word to let them go. There is the safety of God’s church. The angels of God do His bidding, holding back the winds of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree, until the servants of God should be sealed in their foreheads. The mighty angel is seen ascending from the east (or sun rising). This mightiest of angels has in his hand the seal of the living God, or of Him who alone can give life, who can inscribe upon the foreheads the mark or inscription, to whom shall be granted immortality, eternal life. It is the voice of this highest angel that had authority to command the four angels to keep in check the four winds until this work was performed, and until he should give the summons to let them loose.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 444, 445.

  • We often find different prophetic illustrations around some sort of water or sea. What do these represent? Revelation 17:1, 15.

Note: “The great kingdoms that have ruled the world were presented to the prophet Daniel as beasts of prey, rising when ‘the four 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’ (verse 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, 440.

5 BEASTS AND WINGS

  • When God wants to enlighten His people, He uses angels or something glorious to represent them. What does God use to represent earthly kingdoms or empires? Daniel 7:17, 23.

Note: “Earthly governments prevail by physical force; they maintain their dominion by war; but the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince of Peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the symbol of fierce beasts of prey; but Christ is ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). … Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness, He counterworks error and sin.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 77.

  • Often a prophet would see beasts flying with wings—totally contrary to the natural likeness of the animal. What do these wings symbolize? Habakkuk 1:6–10.

Note: “The world needs men of thought, men of principle, men who are constantly growing in understanding and discernment. There is great need of men who can use the press to the best advantage, that the truth may be given wings to speed it to every nation, and tongue, and people.” Gospel Workers, 25.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How does a holy God communicate His will with lost, sinful, human beings?

2 Holy men of God in the past received divine illumination. Why were they also interested in what God revealed through others before them?

3 Why does God use parables and symbols, and how is it possible to have a correct understanding of their intent?

4 What is the meaning of the winds and the sea in Bible prophecy?

5 How do beasts and wings depict the actions of nations?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – A Glimpse Into Heaven

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May 25, 2014 – May 31, 2014

Key Text

“Who [the priests] serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5.

Study Help: Early Writings, 14–16, 32–38.

Introduction

“The sanctuary of the first covenant was pitched by man, built by Moses; this [the sanctuary of the new covenant] is pitched by the Lord, not by man. In that sanctuary the earthly priests performed their service; in this, Christ, our great High Priest, ministers at God’s right hand. One sanctuary was on earth, the other is in heaven.” The Great Controversy, 413.

1 THE HOLY PLACE OF THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

  • When Stephen looked up into heaven while being stoned, what did he see? Acts 7:54–56.
  • What did the apostle John see when the door to the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary was opened to him in vision? Revelation 4:1, 5.

Note: “The holy places of the sanctuary in heaven are represented by the two apartments in the sanctuary on earth. As in vision the apostle John was granted a view of the temple of God in heaven, he beheld there ‘seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.’ He saw an angel ‘having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne’ (Revelation 4:5; 8:3). Here the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the ‘seven lamps of fire’ and ‘the golden altar,’ represented by the golden candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on earth.” The Great Controversy, 414, 415.

2 THE RAINBOW OF MERCY AND JUSTICE

  • What else did John see in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary? Revelation 4:2, 3.

Note: “How great the condescension of God and His compassion for His erring creatures in thus placing the beautiful rainbow in the clouds as a token of His covenant with men! The Lord declares that when He looks upon the bow, He will remember His covenant. This does not imply that He would ever forget; but He speaks to us in our own language, that we may better understand Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 106.

  • What does the rainbow represent? What lesson can we learn from the original rainbow given in Noah’s time? Ezekiel 1:26–28; Genesis 9:8–17.

Note: “The rainbow spanning the heavens with its arch of light is a token of ‘the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature’ (Genesis 9:16). And the rainbow encircling the throne on high is also a token to God’s children of His covenant of peace.” Education, 115.

  • What evidence proves that, in the plan of salvation, justice and mercy go hand-in-hand? Psalm 85:10; John 8:10, 11; I John 1:9.

Note: “As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God.

“It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete.” God’s Amazing Grace, 70.

“By faith let us look upon the rainbow round about the throne, the cloud of sins confessed behind it. The rainbow of promise is an assurance to every humble, contrite, believing soul, that his life is one with Christ, and that Christ is one with God. The wrath of God will not fall upon one soul that seeks refuge in Him.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 157.

3 TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS

  • From where did the 24 elders seated around the throne come? What were they offering to God? Revelation 4:4; 5:8, 9.

4 THE 144,000 AND THE WORK OF GOD ON EARTH

  • Who else were seen before the throne? Revelation 7:4, 13–15; 15:2, 3 (compare Revelation 4:6). What song were they singing, and what does that song represent? Exodus 15:1, 13.

Note: “The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name. …

“Here [in the New Jerusalem] we saw the tree of life and the throne of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water, and on either side of the river was the tree of life. On one side of the river was a trunk of a tree, and a trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure, transparent gold.” Early Writings, 15–17.

“God grant, dear reader, that when Jesus shall come the second time, you may be found ready and waiting; that you may be of that number who shall sing the song of redemption around the great white throne, casting their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer.” The Signs of the Times, November 10, 1887.

  • How was God’s work on earth represented in vision to Ezekiel and, later, to John the apostle? Ezekiel 1:4, 5, 10, 14–16; Revelation 4:6–8 (compare Isaiah 6:1–3). In the light of the four faces (Ezekiel 1:10), how are we to consider the different abilities and characters of those serving God? What do the wheels represent?

Note: “To the prophet [Ezekiel] the wheel within a wheel, the appearances of living creatures connected with them, all seemed intricate and unexplainable. But the hand of Infinite Wisdom is seen among the wheels, and perfect order is the result of its work. Every wheel works in perfect harmony with every other.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 213.

“Those who are called to responsible positions in the work of God often feel that they are carrying heavy burdens, when they may have the satisfaction of knowing that Jesus carries them all. We permit ourselves to feel altogether too much care, trouble, and perplexity in the Lord’s work. We need to trust Him, believe in Him, and go forward. The tireless vigilance of the heavenly messengers, their unceasing employment in their ministry in connection with the beings of earth, show us how God’s hand is guiding the wheel within a wheel.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1161.

5 A VISION OF THE MOST HOLY PLACE

  • What work was shown in vision to God’s prophets with reference to these last days? Daniel 7:9, 10; Revelation 11:18, 19.

Note: “[Daniel 7:9, 10, RV quoted.]

“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’ (Proverbs 24:12).” The Great Controversy, 479.

“Effort and labor are required on the part of the receiver of God’s grace; for it is the fruit that makes manifest what is the character of the tree. Although the good works of man are of no more value without faith in Jesus than was the offering of Cain, yet covered with the merit of Christ, they testify to the worthiness of the doer to inherit eternal life.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 381, 382.

  • Why does God draw our attention to these revelations? Revelation 1:19, 3.

Note: “A revelation is something revealed. The Lord Himself revealed to His servant the mysteries contained in this book [of Revelation], 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.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Which of the two apartments of the heavenly sanctuary did the apostle John describe in the fourth chapter of Revelation?

2 How does the rainbow symbolize both justice and mercy?

3 How was it possible for the 24 elders from earth to be in heaven?

4 What does the vision of Ezekiel chapter 1 represent?

5 How is the character of God vindicated by the redeemed saints?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – A Work of Reform in Prophecy

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May 18, 2014 – May 24, 2014

Key Text

“Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.” Isaiah 56:1.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 451–460.

Introduction

“In order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 283.

1 SABBATH OBSERVANCE TO BE RESTORED

  • What evidence proves that the call of the Lord in Isaiah 56 applies especially in New Testament times? Compare Isaiah 56:1 with I Peter 1:4, 5, and Romans 3:21–24.
  • When, and upon what condition, would a blessing rest upon the Gentiles gathered in by the gospel? Isaiah 56:2–7; Ephesians 2:12–22.

Note: “Here [in Isaiah 56:8] is foreshadowed the gathering in of the Gentiles by the gospel. And upon those who then honor the Sabbath, a blessing is pronounced. Thus the obligation of the fourth commandment extends past the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, to the time when His servants should preach to all nations the message of glad tidings.” The Great Controversy, 451.

“The true sign is placed upon every one who accepts the Sabbath, to keep it holy unto the Lord. The claims of the Sabbath if obeyed, will sanctify us, soul, body and spirit. In coming out from the world and being separated, in accepting the Sabbath of creation which God has sanctified and blessed, we give evidence of genuine conversion. We wear God’s sign. We are stamped with the mark of His government.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 425.

2 AN INWARD EXPERIENCE CONFIRMED BY OUTWARD ACTION

  • Define the necessary inward experience of those who take part in the Lord’s Sabbath rest. Matthew 11:28–30; Isaiah 48:16–18; Jeremiah 6:16, first part.

Note: “To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28).” The Desire of Ages, 289.

  • What should we understand about the depth of spiritual rest that Christ wants us to experience? Hebrews 3:7–12; 4:12.
  • What evidence do we have that the Lord’s rest (“His rest”), into which we are to enter, is an inward experience confirmed by an outward sign? Ezekiel 20:12, 19, 20; Hebrews 3:12–14; 4:3, 4, 9–11.

Note: “Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the truth, the believer becomes fitted for the courts of heaven; for Christ works within us, and His righteousness is upon us. Without this no soul will be entitled to heaven. We would not enjoy heaven unless qualified for its holy atmosphere by the influence of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 395.

“True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 350.

3 THE SEAL OF GOD TO BE RESTORED

  • The disciples of Jesus are called upon to restore the seal of God. How are they to do this work? Isaiah 8:13–16; 58:12–14. (Compare Isaiah 8:14 with I Peter 2:7, 8.)

Note: “The seal of God’s law is found in the fourth commandment. This only, of all the ten, brings to view both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It declares Him to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and thus shows His claim to reverence and worship above all others. Aside from this precept, there is nothing in the Decalogue to show by whose authority the law is given. When the Sabbath was changed by the papal power, the seal was taken from the law. The disciples of Jesus are called upon to restore it by exalting the Sabbath of the fourth commandment to its rightful position as the Creator’s memorial and the sign of His authority.” The Great Controversy, 452.

  • What rule has God given us to test religious things? Isaiah 8:20. How do we know that this rule applies especially to the Christian era? Isaiah 8:14.

Note: “The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions.” The Great Controversy, 593.

“While conflicting doctrines and theories abound, the law of God is the one unerring rule by which all opinions, doctrines, and theories are to be tested.” Ibid., 452.

  • What work is to be done in the time of the end, shortly before the coming of Christ? Acts 3:19–21.

4 THE LAW OF GOD: THE FOCAL POINT OF THE CONFLICT

  • Upon which Old Testament prophet and his accomplishment is the last work of restoration to be modeled? Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:11, 12.

Note: “In every generation God has sent His servants to rebuke sin, both in the world and in the church. But the people desire smooth things spoken to them, and the pure, unvarnished truth is not acceptable. Many reformers, in entering upon their work, determined to exercise great prudence in attacking the sins of the church and the nation. They hoped, by the example of a pure Christian life, to lead the people back to the doctrines of the Bible. But the Spirit of God came upon them as it came upon Elijah, moving him to rebuke the sins of a wicked king and an apostate people; they could not refrain from preaching the plain utterances of the Bible—doctrines which they had been reluctant to present. They were impelled to zealously declare the truth and the danger which threatened souls. The words which the Lord gave them they uttered, fearless of consequences, and the people were compelled to hear the warning.

“Thus the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.” The Great Controversy, 606.

  • What ultimately distinguishes the remnant people of God from the nominal churches? Matthew 7:21–23; Revelation 14:12.

Note: “Though the ‘man of sin’ succeeded in trampling underfoot God’s holy day, yet even in the period of his supremacy there were, hidden in secret places, faithful souls who paid it honor. Since the Reformation, there have been some in every generation to maintain its observance. Though often in the midst of reproach and persecution, a constant testimony has been borne to the perpetuity of the law of God and the sacred obligation of the creation Sabbath.” The Great Controversy, 453.

5 ENDURING AS ETERNITY

  • What prophecy shows that the Sabbath will be kept throughout eternity? Isaiah 66:23.

Note: “God teaches that we should assemble in His house to cultivate the attributes of perfect love. This will fit the dwellers of earth for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for all who love Him. There they will assemble in the sanctuary from Sabbath to Sabbath, from one new moon to another, to unite in loftiest strains of song, in praise and thanksgiving to Him who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 368.

“When Eden shall bloom on earth again, God’s holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun.” The Desire of Ages, 283.

“When there shall be a ‘restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began’ (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph’s tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as ‘from one Sabbath to another’ (Isaiah 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb.” Ibid., 769, 770.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can we prove that God wants to bless the Sabbath-keeping Gentiles brought in by the gospel?

2 Explain the twofold aspect (inward experience and outward sign) of the Lord’s Sabbath rest into which He wants us to enter.

3 Through what work is the seal of God’s law to be restored?

4 Explain the meaning of the Greek word anomia, translated as “iniquity” in Matthew 7:23.

5 What Edenic institution, restored among the last generation of Christ’s true followers, will be observed in Paradise regained?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Christ and the Sabbath

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May 11, 2014 – May 17, 2014

Key Text

“He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Luke 4:16.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 47–49, 296, 297.

Introduction

“When at Jesus’ birth the angels sang—‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’ (Luke 2:14), they were declaring the principles of the law which He had come to magnify and make honorable.” The Desire of Ages, 308.

1 ORIGIN OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE

  • When did God institute the Sabbath? Genesis 2:1–3.

Note: “In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family. … The institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was nothing in it shadowy or of restricted application to any people.

“God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in 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.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 48.

  • How was the Sabbath confirmed prior to the giving of the law at Sinai? Exodus 16:22–30. What is the Sabbath to bring to mind? Exodus 20:8–11.

Note: “In the circumstances connected with the giving of the manna, we have conclusive evidence that the Sabbath was not instituted, as many claim, when the law was given at Sinai. Before the Israelites came to Sinai they understood the Sabbath to be obligatory upon them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296.

2 THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS

  • What was the purpose of Jesus in relation to the law of God? Psalm 40:8; Isaiah 42:21; Matthew 5:17–19.
  • How did Jesus rebuke the Jews for not keeping God’s moral law of Ten Commandments? Matthew 15:3–6; Luke 10:26; John 7:19.

Note: “In the precepts of His holy law, God has given a perfect rule of life; and He has declared that until the close of time this law, unchanged in a single jot or tittle, is to maintain its claim upon human beings. Christ came to magnify the law and make it honorable. He showed that it is based upon the broad foundation of love to God and love to man, and that obedience to its precepts comprises the whole duty of man. In His own life He gave an example of obedience to the law of God. In the Sermon on the Mount He showed how its requirements extend beyond the outward acts and take cognizance of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Acts of the Apostles, 505.

  • Give examples showing how Christ’s teachings restored the true meaning of God’s law. Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28, 31, 32; 19:17–19; Luke 16:17, 18. He also restored the Sabbath to its original position in the plan of God for humanity. Give examples. Matthew 12:10–12; 24:20; Mark 2:27.

Note: “The Jewish leaders accomplished the will of Satan by surrounding God’s rest day with burdensome requirements. In the days of Christ the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of the loving heavenly Father. The rabbis virtually represented God as giving laws which it was impossible for men to obey. They led the people to look upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the observance of the Sabbath, as He required it, made men hard-hearted and cruel. It was the work of Christ to clear away these misconceptions. Although the rabbis followed Him with merciless hostility, He did not even appear to conform to their requirements, but went straight forward, keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God.” The Desire of Ages, 284.

“By sweeping away the senseless restrictions of the Jews, Christ honored the Sabbath, while those who complained of Him were dishonoring God’s holy day.” Ibid., 287.

3 FOLLOWING CHRIST’S EXAMPLE

  • How were the scribes and Pharisees watching Jesus in an attempt to find something with which to accuse Him? Luke 6:7. What were they actually able to do? John 8:46. When Jesus was brought to court, of what Sabbath violation did the Jews accuse Him? Matthew 26:59–61.

Note: “For thirty years He [Christ] lived the life of a perfect man, meeting the highest standard of perfection.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 136.

“Those who hold that Christ abolished the law teach that He broke the Sabbath and justified His disciples in doing the same. Thus they are really taking the same ground as did the caviling Jews. In this they contradict the testimony of Christ Himself, who declared, ‘I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love’ (John 15:10). Neither the Saviour nor His followers broke the law of the Sabbath. Christ was a living representative of the law. No violation of its holy precepts was found in His life. Looking upon a nation of witnesses who were seeking occasion to condemn Him, He could say unchallenged, ‘Which of you convicteth Me of sin?’ (John 8:46 RV).” The Desire of Ages, 287.

  • What lesson did Jesus leave for His disciples concerning proper Sabbath-keeping? Luke 23:52–56. What is every follower of Christ called upon to do? John 15:10; I John 2:6.

Note: “By His [Christ’s] suffering and resistance He made plain to man that perfection of character can be obtained and maintained by humanity.” The Youth’s Instructor, December 28, 1899.

“The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours.” The Desire of Ages, 311.

“All righteous attributes of character dwell in God as a perfect, harmonious whole. Everyone who receives Christ as his personal Saviour is privileged to possess these attributes. This is the science of holiness.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 276.

4 THE SABBATH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

  • What was the custom of Paul and the early Christians with regard to the Sabbath? Acts 13:42, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4.
  • Where and on which day of the week did the early Christians receive religious instruction? Matthew 23:1–3; Acts 15:21. Ananias was an early church leader, and a strict Sabbath-keeper. What did the Jews say of him? Acts 22:12.
  • What additional evidence in a prophecy given by Jesus shows that Christians would still be observing the seventh day Sabbath forty years after the crucifixion? Matthew 24:15–20.

Note: “Christ not only honored the Sabbath throughout His life upon the earth, but He provided that its sacred claims should be remembered and honored after His death and resurrection. When warning His disciples of the destruction of Jerusalem, which did not take place until forty years after His ascension, He said, ‘But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day; for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time’ (Matthew 24:20, 21). In accordance with His instruction, the followers of Christ were enabled to depart from the besieged city, and escape to the mountains, not taking their flight either in the winter, nor upon the Sabbath day.” The Signs of the Times, November 12, 1894.

  • How serious a matter has God designed the Sabbath to be for His followers in every generation? Exodus 31:13, 16, 17.

Note: “No deeper wound could be inflicted on God than to ignore His holy day, and place in its stead a spurious sabbath that bears no mark of sanctity. God gave the Sabbath to the world to be set apart for His name’s glory. …

“And who are Israel? The Holy Spirit by the apostle Paul declares, ‘If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed’ (Galatians 3:29). Upon all who through Christ become a part of the true Israel, the observance of the Sabbath is enjoined.” The Signs of the Times, November 22, 1899.

5 A WORK OF SABBATH REFORM

  • What instructions should we bear in mind to ensure correct Sabbath-keeping? Isaiah 58:12, 13.

Note: “God requires that His holy day be as sacredly observed now as in the time of Israel. The command given to the Hebrews should be regarded by all Christians as an injunction from Jehovah to them. The day before the Sabbath should be made a day of preparation, that everything may be in readiness for its sacred hours. In no case should our own business be allowed to encroach upon holy time.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296.

“When the Sabbath commences, we should place a guard upon ourselves, upon our acts and our words, lest we rob God by appropriating to our own use that time which is strictly the Lord’s. We should not do ourselves, nor suffer our children to do, any manner of our own work for a livelihood, or anything which could have been done on the six working days. Friday is the day of preparation. Time can then be devoted to making the necessary preparation for the Sabbath and to thinking and conversing about it. Nothing which will in the sight of Heaven be regarded as a violation of the holy Sabbath should be left unsaid or undone, to be said or done upon the Sabbath. God requires not only that we refrain from physical labor upon the Sabbath, but that the mind be disciplined to dwell upon sacred themes. The fourth commandment is virtually transgressed by conversing upon worldly things or by engaging in light and trifling conversation. Talking upon anything or everything which may come into the mind is speaking our own words.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 702, 703.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What evidence shows that the Sabbath existed before Sinai?

2 What was Jesus’ attitude toward the law of God and the Sabbath?

3 In the trial of Jesus, why wasn’t He accused of Sabbath-breaking?

4 When the new covenant had already been confirmed by the death of Christ (Galatians 3:15; Hebrews 9:16, 17), what was the understanding of the disciples regarding Sabbath-keeping?

5 What evidence proves that Isaiah 58:12, 13 refers to the Christian era? (Compare Isaiah 58:12, 13 with 61:1–4.)

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Mark of the Beast

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May 4, 2014 – May 10, 2014

Key Text

“He [the other beast coming out of the earth] causeth 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.

Study Help: Early Writings, 64–67, 254–258.

Introduction

“The keeping of God’s law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will make the distinction between the worshipers of God and the worshipers of the beast.” The Great Controversy, 445, 446.

1 THE FOCAL POINT OF THE CONFLICT

  • Revelation 13 and 14 are closely related, shedding light upon the end-time conflict between truth and error. How does the third angel’s message announce the outcome of this conflict? Revelation 14:9–12; 15:2.
  • What commandment of the law of God is under fierce attack in the last conflict? Exodus 20:8; Mark 2:27, 28. Upon what authority does Sunday-keeping rest? Matthew 15:9, 13, 14.

Note: “The United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to the papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. … In both the Old and the New World, the papacy will receive homage in the honor paid to the Sunday institution, that rests solely upon the authority of the Roman Church.” The Great Controversy, 579.

2 THE INTENDED CHANGE

  • How does our way of thinking determine our attitude and our actions? Matthew 6:21; 12:34; Proverbs 23:7.

Note: “We shall reveal what is in our hearts by the words we speak. The connection between the heart and the words of our mouth is very intimate, and by our words we shall be individually judged in the last day.” The Voice in Speech and Song, 52.

“If the thoughts are wrong the feelings will be wrong, and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 310.

  • What intent of Rome, as revealed in Daniel 7:25, is the key issue in the final conflict? How will the lamblike nation’s enforcing of Sunday observance be a mark of association with, or submission to, Rome? Revelation 13:12.

Note: “Not one is made to suffer the wrath of God until the truth has been brought home to his mind and conscience, and has been rejected. There are many who have never had an opportunity to hear the special truths for this time. The obligation of the fourth commandment has never been set before them in its true light. He who reads every heart and tries every motive will leave none who desire a knowledge of the truth, to be deceived as to the issues of the controversy. The decree is not to be urged upon the people blindly. Everyone is to have sufficient light to make his decision intelligently.” The Great Controversy, 605.

“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 times and the law’ (Daniel 7:25 RV). And Paul styled the same power the ‘man of sin’ (II 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 exalt 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 be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God.

“The papacy has attempted to change the law of God. … The change in the fourth commandment exactly fulfills the prophecy. For this the only authority claimed is that of the church. Here the papal power openly sets itself above God.” Ibid., 446.

3 THE LORD’S DAY

  • What Bible verse has modern Protestantism wrongfully used in defense of Sunday-keeping? Revelation 1:10.

Note: “The Lord’s day mentioned by John was the Sabbath, the day on which Jehovah rested after the great work of creation, and which He blessed and sanctified because He had rested upon it. The Sabbath was as sacredly observed by John upon the Isle of Patmos as when he was among the people, preaching upon that day. By the barren rocks surrounding him, John was reminded of rocky Horeb, and how, when God spoke His law to the people there, He said, ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy’ (Exodus 20:8).” The Sanctified Life, 74.

“Notwithstanding all the efforts to establish Sunday sacredness, papists themselves publicly confessed the divine authority of the Sabbath and the human origin of the institution by which it had been supplanted. In the sixteenth century a papal council plainly declared: ‘Let all Christians remember that the seventh day was consecrated by God, and hath been received and observed, not only by the Jews, but by all others who pretend to worship God; though we Christians have changed their Sabbath into the Lord’s Day.’ (Thomas Morer, Discourse in Six Dialogues on the Name, Notion, and Observation of the Lord’s Day, pp. 281, 282.) Those who were tampering with the divine law were not ignorant of the character of their work. They were deliberately setting themselves above God.” The Great Controversy, 577.

“While the worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the fourth commandment—since this is the sign of His creative power and the witness to His claim upon man’s reverence and homage—the worshipers of the beast will be distinguished by their efforts to tear down the Creator’s memorial, to exalt the institution of Rome. It was in behalf of the Sunday that popery first asserted its arrogant claims; and its first resort to the power of the state was to compel the observance of Sunday as ‘the Lord’s day.’ ” Ibid., 446, 447.

  • Which day is in reality the Lord’s day? Mark 2:28; Isaiah 58:13; Ezekiel 20:12.

Note: “Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs to Christ. … The Sabbath is a sign of Christ’s power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God.” The Desire of Ages, 288.

4 SERVING A CHANGELESS GOD

  • How did God consider Sabbath-keeping in ancient Israel? What were the blessings, and what were the curses? Jeremiah 17:19–27.

Note: “[Jeremiah 17:24, 25 quoted.]

“This promise of prosperity as the reward of allegiance was accompanied by a prophecy of the terrible judgments that would befall the city should its inhabitants prove disloyal to God and His law. If the admonitions to obey the Lord God of their fathers and to hallow His Sabbath day were not heeded, the city and its palaces would be utterly destroyed by fire.” Prophets and Kings, 411, 412.

  • How did Jesus clearly explain that He did not come—as the man of sin did—to change the law of God? Matthew 5:17–19; Luke 16:17.

Note: “It was because the law was changeless, because man could be saved only through obedience to its precepts, that Jesus was lifted up on the cross. Yet the very means by which Christ established the law Satan represented as destroying it. Here will come the last conflict of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

“That the law which was spoken by God’s own voice is faulty, that some specification has been set aside, is the claim which Satan now puts forward. It is the last great deception that he will bring upon the world. He needs not to assail the whole law; if he can lead men to disregard one precept, his purpose is gained. For ‘whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all’ (James 2:10). By consenting to break one precept, men are brought under Satan’s power. By substituting human law for God’s law, Satan will seek to control the world.” The Desire of Ages, 763.

“It is not by abolishing one jot or tittle of the law of God that salvation is brought to the fallen race. If God were a changeable being, no confidence could be placed in His government. If He retracted what He said, we could not then take His Word as the foundation of our faith. Had He changed His law to meet fallen men, Satan’s claim that man could not keep the law would have been proved true. But God did not alter His law. The death of Christ testifies to the heavenly universe, to the worlds unfallen, and to all the sons and daughters of Adam, that the law of God is immutable, and that in the judgment it will condemn every one who has persisted in transgression.” The Signs of the Times, April 7, 1898.

5 “COME OUT OF HER”

  • Why do we say today that there are multitudes of honest Sunday-keepers who have not received the mark of the beast? Acts 17:30; James 4:17; John 15:22. When will Sunday observance be enforced?

Note: “There are many who have never had the light. They are deceived by their teachers, and they have not received the mark of the beast. The Lord is working with them; He has not left them to their own ways. Until they shall be convicted of the truth, and trample upon the evidence given to enlighten them, the Lord will not withdraw His grace from them.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 103.

“God has given men the Sabbath as a sign between Him and them, as a test of their loyalty. Those who, after the light regarding God’s law comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis before us will receive the mark of the beast.” Evangelism, 235.

“At present Sunday-keeping is not the test. The time will come when men will not only forbid Sunday work, but they will try to force men to labor on the Sabbath, and to subscribe to Sunday observance or forfeit their freedom and their lives. But the time for this has not yet come, for the truth must be presented more fully before the people as a witness. What I have said about this should not be understood as referring to the action of old Sabbath-keepers who understand the truth.” [Emphasis author’s.] The Review and Herald, April 6, 1911.

  • What must happen before Sunday observance is enforced by a death sentence? What call must be heard by the world just prior to the end of time? Revelation 14:9, 10; 18:1, 4.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What characterizes the work of the third angel of Revelation 14?

2 Explain the “intent” of the Roman hierarchy as revealed in Daniel 7:25.

3 How can you prove that, not the first day of the week, but the seventh-day (Sabbath) is the Lord’s day?

4 Explain Matthew 5:17–19; Luke 16:17; Matthew 22:36–40, and James 2:10 in connection with the outcome of the conflict (Revelation 14:12).

5 Why does the final conflict between truth and error require a separation from the nominal churches?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – A Miracle – Working Power

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April 27, 2014 – May 3, 2014

The Lord Has Spoken

Key Text

“He [the other beast coming up out of the earth] deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the [ten-horned] beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” Revelation 13:14.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 48, 582–592, 624.

Introduction

“God never forces the will or the conscience; but Satan’s constant resort—to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise seduce—is compulsion by cruelty. … He works through both religious and secular authorities, moving them to the enforcement of human laws in defiance of the law of God.” The Great Controversy, 591.

1 GREAT DECEPTION THROUGH MIRACLES

  • What prophecy shows that miracles will be used to deceive people in the last days? Matthew 24:24; II Corinthians 11:14.

Note: “Through spiritualism, Satan appears as a benefactor of the race, healing the diseases of the people, and professing to present a new and more exalted system of religious faith.” The Great Controversy, 589.

“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. … Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness.” Ibid., 624.

  • How can we discern between true and false miracles? Deuteronomy 13:1–3; Isaiah 8:19, 20.

Note: “Those who claim to have the great power of God can only be discerned by the great detector, the law of Jehovah.” Faith and Works, 45.

2 MIRACLES NOT A TEST

  • What prophecy was partially fulfilled in the days of Christ and is to be fulfilled again in these last days? Malachi 4:5, 6; Luke 1:17; Matthew 11:11–14.

Note: “John separated himself from friends and from the luxuries of life. The simplicity of his dress, a garment woven of camel’s hair, was a standing rebuke to the extravagance and display of the Jewish priests, and of the people generally. His diet, purely vegetable, of locusts and wild honey, was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite and the gluttony that everywhere prevailed. … [Malachi 4:5, 6 quoted.] Here the prophet describes the character of the work. Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ’s first advent. The great subject of reform is to be agitated, and the public mind is to be stirred. Temperance in all things is to be connected with the message, to turn the people of God from their idolatry, their gluttony, and their extravagance in dress and other things.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 62.

  • What lesson from John the Baptist (who worked in the spirit and power of Elijah) is of great value for us today? John 10:41.

Note: “Satan is a diligent Bible student. He knows that his time is short, and he seeks at every point to counterwork the work of the Lord upon this earth. It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions of the past are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. God’s people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles that will be wrought. God’s tried and tested people will find their power in the sign spoken of in Exodus 31:12–18. They are to take their stand on the living word: ‘It is written.’ This is the only foundation upon which they can stand securely. Those who have broken their covenant with God will in that day be without God and without hope.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 16.

3 A CHANGE IS COMING

  • What do the two horns on the lamblike beast represent? Revelation 13:11.

Note: “The ‘two horns like a lamb’ (Revelation 13:11) well represent the character of the United States Government, as expressed in its two fundamental principles, Republicanism and Protestantism. These principles are the secret of our power and prosperity as a nation. Those who first found an asylum on the shores of America rejoiced that they had reached a country free from the arrogant claims of popery and the tyranny of kingly rule. They determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty.” The Signs of the Times, November 1, 1899.

  • How will this lamblike nation offend God by enacting oppressive, anti-biblical laws? Revelation 13:14, last part.

Note: “A time is coming when the law of God is, in a special sense, to be made void in our land. The rulers of our nation will, by legislative enactments, enforce the Sunday law, and thus God’s people be brought into great peril. When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land; and national apostasy will be followed by national ruin.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 977.

  • What threefold union will prepare the world to be deceived by Satan? Isaiah 8:9, 10, 12; Revelation 16:13, 14.

Note: “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, vol. 5, 451.

4 THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST

  • What is the image of the beast, and who has the power to give life to this image? Revelation 13:15, first part.

Note: “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” The Great Controversy, 445.

“The same masterful mind that plotted against the faithful in ages past is still seeking to rid the earth of those who fear God and obey His law. Satan will excite indignation against the humble minority who conscientiously refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith. By false representations and angry appeals they will stir up the passions of the people. Not having a ‘Thus saith the Scriptures’ to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for a Sunday law. Those who fear God cannot accept an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue. On this battlefield comes the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the days of Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 450, 451.

  • How did the early Christian church fall into the trap of Satan? II Timothy 3:5; II Thessalonians 2:10–12.

Note: “It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy—the beast. Said Paul: ‘There’ shall ‘come a falling away … and that man of sin be revealed’ (II Thessalonians 2:3). So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast.” The Great Controversy, 443, 444.

5 THE DEATH DECREE

  • Those who fear God and live a godly life, what must they expect? Matthew 14:3–10; II Timothy 3:12. Give a scriptural example. I Kings 22:8, 27.

Note: “It is natural for the wrongdoer to hold the messengers of God responsible for the calamities that come as the sure result of a departure from the way of righteousness. Those who place themselves in Satan’s power are unable to see things as God sees them. When the mirror of truth is held up before them, they become indignant at the thought of receiving reproof. Blinded by sin, they refuse to repent; they feel that God’s servants have turned against them and are worthy of severest censure.” Prophets and Kings, 139, 140.

“The true and faithful follower of Christ must suffer persecution. There is no way of avoiding it.” The Review and Herald, April 19, 1898.

  • What will happen to those that do not worship the image of the beast and refuse to receive the mark of the beast? Revelation 13:15, last part, 16, 17.

Note: “It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday sabbath; that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced. …

“The miracle-working power manifested through spiritualism will exert its influence against those who choose to obey God rather than men. Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God.” The Great Controversy, 590, 591.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can we discern between true and false miracles?

2 How does the life of John the Baptist show that miracles will not be the sign by which to identify God’s remnant?

3 What role will spiritualism increasingly play in the United States?

4 What is the image of the beast, and how is it formed?

5 What must we expect from those who knowingly reject the truth?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The 144,000 and the Seventh Seal

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June 22, 2014 – June 28, 2014

Key Text

“And the Lord said unto him [the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side], Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” Ezekiel 9:4.

Study Help: Evangelism, 225–236.

Introduction

“The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation. … The Sabbath is clearly designated as a sign between God and His people.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 117.

1 THE SEALING WORK

  • Now, under the sixth seal, what preparations are being made in the political world? Revelation 11:18. Why are the winds of contention being held in check? Revelation 7:1, 3. What will happen when the winds of strife are released? I Thessalonians 5:3.
  • What work must be done on earth between the events foretold in Revelation 6:13 and 6:14? Ezekiel 9:4; Revelation 7:1–4.

Note: “The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were God’s property. So the children of God in this age will bear the signature God has appointed. They will place themselves in harmony with God’s holy law. A mark is placed upon every one of God’s people just as verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the general ruin.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 968, 969.

  • Describe the final gospel messages under which this work (the sealing of the 144,000) will be completed. Revelation 14:6–12; 18:1–4.

2 “SEAL THE LAW AMONG MY DISCIPLES”

  • What is the evidence that the two prophetic references about the restoration of the Lord’s Sabbath belong to the Christian era? Isaiah 8:14–16; 61:4; 58:12–14.

Note: “In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored. The breach made in the law at the time the Sabbath was changed by man, is to be repaired. God’s remnant people, standing before the world as reformers, are to show that the law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform and that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand as a memorial of creation, a constant reminder of the power of God. In clear, distinct lines they are to present the necessity of obedience to all the precepts of the Decalogue. Constrained by the love of Christ, they are to co-operate with Him in building up the waste places. They are to be repairers of the breach, restorers of paths to dwell in.” Prophets and Kings, 678.

  • With regard to His law, why does God demand much more of this last generation than of former generations? John 9:41; Luke 12:47, 48.

Note: “Let none plead as an excuse for not keeping the Sabbath, that their fathers died accepted of God when keeping the first day of the week. No doubt they were accepted; for they did not sin against the light that is shining upon you in your day. God would have us walk in the light which shines upon us. We are to appreciate the truth that is presented to our understanding; for if we do not walk in the light, it becomes darkness, and our darkness will be proportionate to the light that is given.

“We shall not be held accountable for the light that has not reached our perception, but for that which we have resisted and refused. A man could not apprehend the truth which had never been presented to him, and therefore could not be condemned for light he had never had. But if he had opportunity to hear the message, and to become acquainted with the truth, and yet refused to improve his opportunity, he will be among the number of whom Christ said, ‘Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life’ (John 5:40). Those who deliberately place themselves where they will not have an opportunity of hearing the truth, will be reckoned among those who have heard the truth, and persistently resisted its evidences.” The Review and Herald, April 25, 1893.

3 A CLEAR DISTINCTION

  • What will the 144,000 be able to say when they see Christ coming in glory? Isaiah 25:8, 9.

Note: “The living righteous are changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye’ (I Corinthians 15:52). 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. Angels ‘gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’ (Matthew 24:31). 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.

  • What will the unsaved multitudes say? Revelation 6:15–17.

Note: “[When God’s holy law is revealed as the rule of judgment to all the inhabitants of the earth] the enemies of God’s law, from the ministers down to the least among them, have a new conception of truth and duty. Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God. Too late they see the true nature of their spurious sabbath and the sandy foundation upon which they have been building. They find that they have been fighting against God. Religious teachers have led souls to perdition while professing to guide them to the gates of Paradise. Not until the day of final accounts will it be known how great is the responsibility of men in holy office and how terrible are the results of their unfaithfulness. Only in eternity can we rightly estimate the loss of a single soul. Fearful will be the doom of him to whom God shall say: Depart, thou wicked servant. …

“No human pen can portray the scene [of Jesus’ return as a mighty conqueror with a vast, unnumbered throng of holy angels]; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. ‘His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light’ (Habakkuk 3:3, 4). 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. ‘And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords’ (Revelation 19:16).

“Before His presence ‘all faces are turned into paleness’ (Jeremiah 30:6); upon the rejecters of God’s mercy falls the terror of eternal despair.” The Great Controversy, 640, 641.

4 SILENCE IN HEAVEN

  • Why is there silence in heaven? John 14:1–3; Matthew 16;27; Revelation 8:1. What condition will prevail in heaven for “half an hour”?

Note: “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.” The Great Controversy, 644.

  • In describing the 144,000 seen on Mount Zion, what characteristics does John emphasize? Revelation 14:1–5. What understanding can aid us in our desire to be among that number?

Note: “John saw a Lamb on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads. They bore the signet of heaven. They reflected the image of God. They were full of the light and the glory of the Holy One. If we would have the image and superscription of God upon us, we must separate ourselves from all iniquity. We must forsake every evil way, and then we must trust our cases in the hands of Christ. While we are working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, God will work in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure. While you must do your part, yet it is God that must give you aid, and sanctify you. Christ makes us penitent that He may forgive us. We have an idea that we must do some part of the work alone. We have thought that there are two or three steps that we must take without any help or support. But this is not so. The Spirit of God is continually wooing and drawing the soul to right purposes, and into harmony with the law of God.” The Review and Herald, March 19, 1889.

“[Revelation 14:1 quoted.] In this world their minds were consecrated to God; they served Him with the intellect and with the heart; and now He can place His name ‘in their foreheads’ (Revelation 14:1, last part).” The Acts of the Apostles, 590, 591.

“Are we striving with all our God-given powers to reach the measure of the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever reaching higher and higher, trying to attain to the perfection of His character?

“When God’s servants reach this point, they will be sealed in their foreheads.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 370.

5 PARADISE RESTORED

  • What promise have the faithful people of God embraced by faith from the beginning of the world? Hebrews 11:13–16; II Peter 3:13; Matthew 5:5, 10.

Note: “Through humility and self-surrender we may become heirs with Him [Christ] when ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’ (Psalm 37:11).

“The earth promised to the meek will not be like this, darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. …

“Jesus is there, peace is there.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, 17.

  • Since the coming of Christ is at the door, what is the most important question that every individual should put to himself or herself? Acts 2:37, last part; 16:30, 31.

Note: “Notwithstanding our unworthiness, we are to remember that there is One who can take away sin, and who is willing and anxious to save the sinner.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 970.

“We are to copy no human being. There is no human being wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness.” Ibid.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Although another world war has been threatening to break out, why are the winds of contention being held back by the providence of God?

2 What are the three final gospel messages to be given to the world?

3 What is prophesied in Isaiah 8:14–16 and 58:12–14, and how do we know that this prophecy belongs to the Christian dispensation?

4 Describe the 144,000, victorious saints.

5 Describe the conditions of the new earth.

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Fifth and Sixth Seals

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June 15, 2014 – June 21, 2014

Key Text

“The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:17.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 304–308, 333, 334, 640–646.

Introduction

“The righteous cry with trembling: ‘Who shall be able to stand?’ (Revelation 6:17). The angels’ song is hushed, and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (II Corinthians 12:9 RSV). The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and joy fills every heart.” God’s Amazing Grace, 356.

1 THE ALTAR ON EARTH

  • When the fifth seal was opened, what was seen? Revelation 6:9.
  • Where is the altar of sacrifice in the gospel dispensation—in heaven or on earth? John 19:16, 17; Hebrews 13:10–13. Where were millions of Christian martyrs sacrificed? Matthew 24:21, 22; Revelation 12:11.

Note: “Persecution opened upon the faithful with greater fury than ever before, and the world became a vast battlefield.” The Great Controversy, 54, 55.

  • Which is the only altar in heaven, and what is offered on that altar? Revelation 8:2–4.

2 LIKE THE BLOOD OF ABEL

  • What were the souls under the altar doing? Revelation 6:10. In what sense can dead people cry? Genesis 4:9, 10; Hebrews 11:4.

Note: “As the blood of Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying to God from martyrs’ graves, from the sepulchers of the sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults: ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth’ (Revelation 6:10)?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

“Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes. ‘Babylon the great’ was ‘drunken with the blood of the saints’ (Revelation 17:5, 6). The mangled forms of millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power.” The Great Controversy, 59, 60.

  • Why were white robes given to these martyrs? Revelation 6:11, first part.

Note: “ ‘[Revelation 6:9, 10 quoted.] And white robes were given unto every one of them [they were pronounced pure and holy]’ (verse 11, first part).” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 198.

“God permits the wicked to prosper and to reveal their enmity against Him, that when they shall have filled up the measure of their iniquity all may see His justice and mercy in their utter destruction. The day of His vengeance hastens, when all who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people will meet the just recompense of their deeds; when every act of cruelty or injustice toward God’s faithful ones will be punished as though done to Christ Himself.” The Great Controversy, 48.

“Christ is acquainted with all that is misunderstood and misrepresented by men. His children can afford to wait in calm patience and trust, no matter how much maligned and despised; for nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, and those who honor God shall be honored by Him in the presence of men and angels.” Sons and Daughters of God, 308.

3 THE SIXTH SEAL

  • What events take place at the opening of the sixth seal? Revelation 6:12. How are the next two events similar to that of Christ’s prophecy given on the Mount of Olives? Matthew 24:29, 30.

Note: “Prophecy not only foretells the manner and object of Christ’s coming, but presents tokens by which men are to know when it is near. Said Jesus: ‘There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars’ (Luke 21:25). ‘The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory’ (Mark 13:24–26). The revelator thus describes the first of the signs to precede the second advent: [Revelation 6:12 quoted].

“These signs were witnessed before the opening of the nineteenth century. In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded.” The Great Controversy, 304.

“ ‘Almost, if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind, … stands the dark day of May 19, 1780—a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England.’—R. M. Devens, Our First Century, 89.” Ibid., 306.

  • How did Christ explain the time in which these signs were to be fulfilled? Matthew 24:29, first part.

Note: “What rendered this [dark day of May 19, 1780] more striking was the fact that the time of its fulfillment had been definitely pointed out. In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church—the 1260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened—He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: ‘In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light’ (Mark 13:24). The 1260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased.” The Great Controversy, 306.

4 THE HEAVENS IN COMMOTION

  • How was the prophecy of the stars falling from heaven fulfilled? Revelation 6:13; Matthew 24:29, third part.

Note: “This prophecy [of the last of the signs] received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; ‘the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion!’ …

“ ‘No language, indeed, can come up to the splendor of that magnificent display; … no one who did not witness it can form an adequate conception of its glory. It seemed as if the whole starry heavens had congregated at one point near the zenith, and were simultaneously shooting forth, with the velocity of lightning, to every part of the horizon; and yet they were not exhausted—thousands swiftly followed in the tracks of thousands, as if created for the occasion’—F. Reed, in the Christian Advocate and Journal, Dec. 13, 1833. ‘A more correct picture of a fig tree casting its figs when blown by a mighty wind, it was not possible to behold’—‘The Old Countryman,’ in Portland Evening Advertiser, November 26, 1833.” The Great Controversy, 333, 334.

  • Whom did the Lord then call to warn people in the United States about the nearness of Christ’s return? What was the result of his work?

Note: “As Elisha was called from following his oxen in the field, to receive the mantle of consecration to the prophetic office, so was William Miller called to leave his plow and open to the people the mysteries of the kingdom of God. With trembling he entered upon his work, leading his hearers down, step by step, through the prophetic periods to the second appearing of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 331.

“Many who did not accept his views as to the exact time of the second advent were convinced of the certainty and nearness of Christ’s coming and their need of preparation. In some of the large cities his work produced a marked impression. Liquor dealers abandoned the traffic and turned their shops into meeting rooms; gambling dens were broken up; infidels, deists, Universalists, and even the most abandoned profligates were reformed, some of whom had not entered a house of worship for years. Prayer meetings were established by the various denominations, in different quarters, at almost every hour, businessmen assembling at midday for prayer and praise. There was no extravagant excitement, but an almost universal solemnity on the minds of the people.” Ibid., 332.

5 SIGNS IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

  • With what opposition did the work of William Miller meet? II Peter 3:3, 4.

Note: “It was made to appear a sin, something of which men should be ashamed, to study the prophecies which relate to the coming of Christ and the end of the world. …

“While drawing crowded houses of intelligent and attentive hearers, Miller’s name was seldom mentioned by the religious press except by way of ridicule or denunciation.” The Great Controversy, 336.

  • How is the increasing decadence of nominal Christianity described in the end-time prophecies? Matthew 24:12; Luke 18:8, last part; II Timothy 3:1–5.

Note: “Thousands who pride themselves upon their wisdom and independence regard it as an evidence of weakness to place implicit confidence in the Bible; they think it a proof of superior talent and learning to cavil at the Scriptures and to spiritualize and explain away their most important truths.” The Great Controversy, 583.

  • How are the very few faithful ones—the true followers of Christ—distinguished from the rest of the world? Matthew 24:13; Luke 21:34–36; Revelation 3:11, 18, 19.

Note: “We need to repent constantly, that we may be constantly victorious.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 959.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Where—in heaven or on earth—is the altar seen by John at the opening of the fifth seal? In what sense can dead saints cry?

2 What shows that the dead saints are in the grave and that their crying is symbolic?

3 What events take place at the opening of the sixth seal? What happened in 1755, 1780, and 1833?

4 Describe the professed Christian world of today.

5 How can genuine Christians be distinguished from nominal Christians?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Opening of the Seals

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June 8, 2014 – June 14, 2014

Key Text

“I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” Revelation 5:1.

Study Help: The Acts of the Apostles, 578–589.

Introduction

“Oh, that all could behold our precious Saviour as He is, a Saviour. Let His hand draw aside the veil which conceals His glory from our eyes.” [Emphasis author’s.] “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 967.

1 A PURE ARMY

  • What was seen when the first seal was opened? Revelation 6:1, 2. What does white symbolize in Scripture? Revelation 3:4, 5; 19:8; Isaiah 1:18.
  • Describe the early Christian church and her spiritual conquests. How did persecution gain advantages for the gospel? Acts 8:4; Colossians 1:23.

Note: “In the days of the apostles the Christian believers were filled with earnestness and enthusiasm. So untiringly did they labor for their Master that in a comparatively short time, notwithstanding fierce opposition, the gospel of the kingdom was sounded to all the inhabited parts of the earth. The zeal manifested at this time by the followers of Jesus has been recorded by the pen of inspiration for the encouragement of believers in every age.” The Acts of the Apostles, 578.

“If primitive Christianity could enter the hearts of all who claim to believe the truth, it would bring to them new life and power. The people who are in darkness would then see the contrast between truth and error, between the teachings of God’s word and the fables of superstition.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 580.

2 TRIUMPHS OF THE FIRST CENTURY

  • In what sense were the early Christians a peculiar people? Revelation 2:1, 3.

Note: “The early Christians were indeed a peculiar people. Their blameless deportment and unswerving faith were a continual reproof that disturbed the sinner’s peace. Though few in numbers, without wealth, position, or honorary titles, they were a terror to evildoers wherever their character and doctrines were known.” The Great Controversy, 46.

“The members of the church were united in sentiment and action. Love for Christ was the golden chain that bound them together. They followed on to know the Lord more and still more perfectly, and in their lives were revealed the joy and peace of Christ. They visited the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and kept themselves unspotted from the world, realizing that a failure to do this would be a contradiction of their profession and a denial of their Redeemer.

“In every city the work was carried forward. Souls were converted, who in their turn felt that they must tell of the inestimable treasure they had received. They could not rest till the light which had illumined their minds was shining upon others.” The Acts of the Apostles, 579.

  • How did the early church deal with unfaithful leaders? Revelation 2:2 (compare Acts 20:28–30). Yet sadly, toward the end of the first century, why did the church lose her primitive godliness? Revelation 2:4, 5.

Note: “After a time the zeal of the believers began to wane, and their love for God and for one another grew less. Coldness crept into the church. Some forgot the wonderful manner in which they had received the truth. One by one the old standard-bearers fell at their post. Some of the younger workers, who might have shared the burdens of these pioneers, and thus have been prepared for wise leadership, had become weary of oft-repeated truths. In their desire for something novel and startling they attempted to introduce new phases of doctrine, more pleasing to many minds, but not in harmony with the fundamental principles of the gospel. In their self-confidence and spiritual blindness they failed to discern that these sophistries would cause many to question the experiences of the past, and would thus lead to confusion and unbelief.” The Acts of the Apostles, 580.

3 FIERCE PERSECUTION

  • What was seen when the second seal was opened? Revelation 6:3, 4. What does red stand for? II Kings 3:19–23.

Note: “Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy.

“These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less fury for centuries. Christians were falsely accused of the most dreadful crimes and declared to be the cause of great calamities—famine, pestilence, and earthquake. As they became the objects of popular hatred and suspicion, informers stood ready, for the sake of gain, to betray the innocent. They were condemned as rebels against the empire, as foes of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown to wild beasts or burned alive in the amphitheaters.” The Great Controversy, 40.

“Under the fiercest persecution these witnesses for Jesus kept their faith unsullied. Though deprived of every comfort, shut away from the light of the sun, making their home in the dark but friendly bosom of the earth, they uttered no complaint. With words of faith, patience, and hope they encouraged one another to endure privation and distress. The loss of every earthly blessing could not force them to renounce their belief in Christ. Trials and persecution were but steps bringing them nearer their rest and their reward.” Ibid., 41.

  • Why can it be said that “by defeat they conquered” (The Great Controversy, 41)? Revelation 7:14, 17.

Note: “Thousands were imprisoned and slain, but others sprang up to fill their places. And those who were martyred for their faith were secured to Christ and accounted of Him as conquerors. They had fought the good fight, and they were to receive the crown of glory when Christ should come. The sufferings which they endured brought Christians nearer to one another and to their Redeemer. Their living example and dying testimony were a constant witness for the truth; and where least expected, the subjects of Satan were leaving his service and enlisting under the banner of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 42.

4 ENCROACHING APOSTASY

  • What change was taking place under the third seal, at the beginning of the fourth century? Revelation 6:5, 6.

Note: “Satan … laid his plans to war more successfully against the government of God by planting his banner in the Christian church. If the followers of Christ could be deceived and led to displease God, then their strength, fortitude, and firmness would fail, and they would fall an easy prey.

“The great adversary now endeavored to gain by artifice what he had failed to secure by force. Persecution ceased, and in its stead were substituted the dangerous allurements of temporal prosperity and worldly honor. Idolaters were led to receive a part of the Christian faith, while they rejected other essential truths. They professed to accept Jesus as the Son of God and to believe in His death and resurrection, but they had no conviction of sin and felt no need of repentance or of a change of heart. With some concessions on their part they proposed that Christians should make concessions, that all might unite on the platform of belief in Christ. …

“Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their standard, and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism. Although the worshipers of idols professed to be converted, and united with the church, they still clung to their idolatry, only changing the objects of their worship to images of Jesus, and even of Mary and the saints. … As the followers of Christ united with idolaters, the Christian religion became corrupted, and the church lost her purity and power.” The Great Controversy, 42, 43.

  • How was the apostasy predicted by the apostle Paul? II Thessalonians 2:7–9.

Note: “As persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions.” The Great Controversy, 49.

5 CONTROL THROUGH INTENSE PERSECUTION

  • What was seen under the fourth seal? What was the name of the fourth rider? Revelation 6:7, 8. How was papal Rome gaining political control in the sixth century?

Note: “ ‘The noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world’—J. A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, b. 1, ch. 4. The Holy Scriptures were almost unknown, not only to the people, but to the priests. Like the Pharisees of old, the papal leaders hated the light which would reveal their sins. God’s law, the standard of righteousness, having been removed, they exercised power without limit, and practiced vice without restraint. Fraud, avarice, and profligacy prevailed. Men shrank from no crime by which they could gain wealth or position. The palaces of popes and prelates were scenes of the vilest debauchery. Some of the reigning pontiffs were guilty of crimes so revolting that secular rulers endeavored to depose these dignitaries of the church as monsters too vile to be tolerated. For centuries Europe had made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization. A moral and intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom.” The Great Controversy, 60.

  • What actions of the papacy fulfilled these verses: Matthew 24:21, 22; Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7; 17:6?

Note: “No other power could be so truly declared ‘drunken with the blood of the saints’ (Revelation 17:6) as that church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 382.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What is symbolized by a white horse?

2 Since the church is considered an army, and since we are in a spiritual war, describe the victorious experience of the early Christians.

3 How is apostasy seen during the second seal?

4 During the third seal, what further lowering of standards occurred?

5 Why is pale the color of the fourth horse, and how did the papacy try to control the people’s conscience?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The Sealed Scroll

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June 1, 2014 – June 7, 2014

The Lord Has Spoken

Key Text

“One of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Revelation 5:5.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 646–652.

Introduction

“The fifth chapter of Revelation needs to be closely studied. It is of great importance to those who shall act a part in the work of God for these last days. There are some who are deceived. They do not realize what is coming on the earth.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 267.

1 THE SEALED BOOK

  • John the apostle, while in vision, saw God the Father holding a sealed book. Revelation 5:1–3. What are the contents of that book?

Note: “There in His [God’s] open hand lay the book, the roll of the history of God’s providences, the prophetic history of nations and the church. Herein was contained the divine utterances, His authority, His commandments, His laws, the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal, and the history of all ruling powers in the nations.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, 7.

  • Why are we unable to open the sealed book? Deuteronomy 29:29. How did the prophet react when none was found to open it? Revelation 5:4. What help must we receive from God before we can understand what He wants to reveal to us? John 16:12, 13; I Corinthians 2:12–16.

Note: “As we contemplate the great things of God’s word, we look into a fountain that broadens and deepens beneath our gaze. Its breadth and depth pass our knowledge.” Education, 171.

2 THE SEALED BOOK IS OPENED

  • What does God want us to study—especially today? Revelation 1:1–3.

Note: “Let us give more time to the study of the Bible. We do not understand the word as we should. The book of Revelation opens with an injunction to us to understand the instruction that it contains. … When we as a people understand what this book means to us, there will be seen among us a great revival. We do not understand fully the lessons that it teaches, notwithstanding the injunction given us to search and study it. …

“The veil whose apparent mystery has kept many from lifting it, God’s own hand has withdrawn from these portions of His word. The very name ‘Revelation’ contradicts the statement that it is a sealed book. ‘Revelation’ means that something of importance is revealed. The truths of this book are addressed to those living in these last days. We are standing with the veil removed in the holy place of sacred things. We are not to stand without. We are to enter, not with careless, irreverent thoughts, not with impetuous footsteps, but with reverence and godly fear. We are nearing the time when the prophecies of the book of Revelation are to be fulfilled.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 113.

  • Study alone does not guarantee our salvation. What attitude and experience do we need in order to be on that sea of glass for eternity? Revelation 1:3; Matthew 7:21–27; John 15:1–5.

Note: “What part will you act in the closing scenes of this world’s history? Are you awake to these solemn realities? Do you realize the grand work of preparation that is going on in heaven and on earth? Let all who have received the light, who have had the opportunity of reading and hearing the prophecy, take heed to those things that are written therein; ‘for the time is at hand’ (Revelation 22:10). Let none now tamper with sin, the source of every misery in our world. No longer remain in lethargy and stupid indifference. Let not the destiny of your soul hang upon an uncertainty. Know that you are fully on the Lord’s side. Let the inquiry go forth from sincere hearts and trembling lips, ‘Who shall be able to stand’ (Revelation 6:17)? Have you, in these last precious hours of probation, been putting the very best material into your character building? Have you been purifying your souls from every stain? Have you followed the light? Have you works corresponding to your profession of faith?” Testimonies, vol. 6, 404, 405.

3 THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH

  • Who “hath prevailed to open the book”? Revelation 5:5–7. What two characters are combined in the “Root of David”? And how (or under what circumstances) are these two characters manifested?

Note: “The Saviour is presented before John under the symbols of ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ and of ‘a Lamb as it had been slain’ (Revelation 5:5, 6). These symbols represent the union of omnipotent power and self-sacrificing love. The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejecters of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful. The pillar of fire that speaks terror and wrath to the transgressor of God’s law is a token of light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal.” The Acts of the Apostles, 589.

“When we study the divine character in the light of the cross we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice. We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands and feet and side the marks of the suffering endured to reconcile man to God. We see a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, yet receiving us to Himself through the merits of His Son. The cloud of vengeance that threatened only misery and despair, in the light reflected from the cross reveals the writing of God: Live, sinner, live! ye penitent, believing souls, live! I have paid a ransom.” Ibid., 333.

  • Why is Jesus called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”? Revelation 13:8. What was Paul able to proclaim in the light of Romans 5:8? I Corinthians 2:2, 7.

Note: “The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. … Oh, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him!” Patriarchs and Prophets, 63, 64.

4 A HOLY PRIESTHOOD

  • What are the fruits of the ministry exercised by the true followers of Christ to whom the sealed book has been opened? I Peter 2:5, 9–12; 3:8–17.

Note: “The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven.” The Faith I Live By, 142.

  • What is the greatest joy of Christ, “the Root of David,” and when will He share His joy with the redeemed? Revelation 21:3, 4; Romans 8:16–18; Galatians 3:29.

Note: “The Saviour’s joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and humiliation. And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne, gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these still others, all brought into the haven of rest.” The Great Controversy, 647.

  • What song will the redeemed, including the 24 elders, be able to sing? Revelation 5:9, 10.

Note: “It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could devise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of His Son. The compensation for this sacrifice is the joy of peopling the earth with ransomed beings, holy, happy, and immortal.” The Great Controversy, 652.

5 ETERNAL GLORY AND PRAISE

  • How will the 24 elders and all the redeemed continue praising the Lord for His love and sacrifice? Revelation 5:11–14.

Note: “Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing’ (Revelation 5:12).” The Desire of Ages, 131.

  • What will the universe be like when the controversy is ended? Isaiah 11:9; 32:17; Romans 14:11.

Note: “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 unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” The Great Controversy, 678.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why is the opening of the “sealed book” very important in our days?

2 What help will enable us to understand some of the hidden things in connection with the plan of God?

3 Why is Jesus able to unveil future events?

4 Who is associated with Jesus’ ministration in the heavenly sanctuary?

5 When we have a better understanding of the plan of redemption, how will we express our joy and gratitude to the Lord?

© 2010 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.