Bible Study Guides

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.

Bible Study Guides – Problems to Overcome (II)

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July 20, 2014 – July 26, 2014

Key Text

“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22.

Study Help: Counsels on Stewardship, 133–140.

Introduction

“All money lovers … will one day cry in bitter anguish: ‘Oh, the deceitfulness of riches! I have sold my soul for money.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 3, 544, 545.

1 DECEPTION

  • How does Satan often pervert the heart and the mouth of people who want to take business advantages? Jeremiah 6:13; Acts 5:3, 4.
  • How earnestly did King David struggle against a deceitful tongue? Psalms 52:2, 3; 101:7; 120:2; Proverbs 30:8.
  • As Christian stewards must often be in contact with deceitful people, what prayer should they send up to the throne of grace? Psalm 43:1, last part.
  • How does God often permit a deceitful person to be the victim of his or her own tricks? Psalm 7:14–16.

2 DISHONESTY

  • How is a dishonest person described? Proverbs 6:12, 13, 14, 16–19.
  • How does the Lord consider those who are dishonest in their financial transactions? Deuteronomy 27:17–19; Proverbs 11:1; 20:23.

Note: “The accounts of every business, the details of every transaction, pass the scrutiny of unseen auditors, agents of Him who never compromises with injustice, never overlooks evil, never palliates wrong. …

“Against every evildoer God’s law utters condemnation. He may disregard that voice, he may seek to drown its warning, but in vain. It follows him. It makes itself heard. It destroys his peace. If unheeded, it pursues him to the grave. It bears witness against him at the judgment. A quenchless fire, it consumes at last soul and body.” Education, 144, 145.

  • What will happen to anything that is acquired dishonestly? Proverbs 13:11; 15:27; 21:6.

Note: “This is a question that demands consideration by every parent, every teacher, every student—by every human being, young or old. No scheme of business or plan of life can be sound or complete that embraces only the brief years of this present life and makes no provision for the unending future. Let the youth be taught to take eternity into their reckoning. Let them be taught to choose the principles and seek the possessions that are enduring—to lay up for themselves that ‘treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth;’ to make to themselves friends ‘by means of the mammon of unrighteousness,’ that when it shall fail, these may receive them ‘into the eternal tabernacles’ (Luke 12:33; 16:9 RV).” Education, 145.

3 INJUSTICE

  • How are we warned to avoid partiality in our dealing with others? Leviticus 19:15.

Note: “Do not show partiality to one or more, and neglect other of your brethren because they are not congenial to you. Beware lest you deal harshly with those who you think have made mistakes, while others, more guilty and more deserving of reproof, who should be severely rebuked for their unChristlike conduct, are sustained and treated as friends.” The Review and Herald, March 12, 1895.

  • What does the Christian steward do when dealing with disadvantaged groups? Psalm 82:2–4.

Note: “God requires that His people should not allow the poor and afflicted to be oppressed. If they break every yoke and release the oppressed, and are unselfish and kindly considerate of the needy, then shall the blessings promised be theirs. If there are those in the church who would cause the blind to stumble, they should be brought to justice; for God has made us guardians of the blind, the afflicted, the widows, and the fatherless. The stumbling block referred to in the word of God does not mean a block of wood placed before the feet of the blind to cause him to stumble, but it means much more than this. It means any course that may be pursued to injure the influence of their blind brother, to work against his interest, or to hinder his prosperity.

“A brother who is blind and poor and diseased, and who is making every exertion to help himself that he may not be dependent, should be encouraged by his brethren in every way possible. But those who profess to be his brethren, who have the use of all their faculties, who are not dependent, but who so far forget their duty to the blind as to perplex and distress and hedge up his way, are doing a work which will require repentance and restoration before God will accept their prayers. And the church of God who have permitted their unfortunate brother to be wronged will be guilty of sin until they do all in their power to have the wrong righted.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 519, 520.

4 POOR COMPANY

  • While the Lord is our great Counselor, from whom may we seek counsel on this earth? Proverbs 13:20.

Note: “The only safe course for the youth is to mingle with the pure, the holy, and thus natural tendencies to evil will be held in check. By choosing for their companions such as fear the Lord, they will seldom be found disbelieving God’s word, entertaining doubts and infidelity. The power of a truly consistent example is very great for good.” In Heavenly Places, 172.

  • What happens when we seek counsel from those who are not in harmony with the principles of Christian stewardship? Proverbs 14:7; II Thessalonians 3:6.

Note: “Let the youth choose the influence of, and become associated with, men and women of bad principles and practices … and they are polluted. Silent and unconscious influences weave their sentiments into their lives, become a part of their very existence, and they walk on the very brink of a precipice and sense no danger. They learn to love the words of the smooth tongued, the honeyed words of the deceiver, and are restless, uneasy, and unhappy unless they are carried to the pinnacle of someone’s flattery. … To walk in the counsel of the ungodly is the first step toward standing in the place of sinners and sitting in the seat of the scornful.” In Heavenly Places, 172.

“It is wrong for Christians to associate with those whose morals are loose. An intimate, daily intercourse which occupies time without contributing in any degree to the strength of the intellect or morals is dangerous. If the moral atmosphere surrounding persons is not pure and sanctified, but is tainted with corruption, those who breathe this atmosphere will find that it operates almost insensibly upon the intellect and heart to poison and to ruin. It is dangerous to be conversant with those whose minds naturally take a low level. Gradually and imperceptibly those who are naturally conscientious and love purity will come to the same level and partake of and sympathize with the imbecility and moral barrenness with which they are so constantly brought in contact.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 125.

5 THE FUTILITY OF ACQUIRING RICHES

  • How much of our earthly riches do we retain when we die? Psalm 49:16, 17; Ecclesiastes 5:13–15; I Timothy 6:7.
  • What can we take with us to the great judgment of humanity? Matthew 16:26; Proverbs 11:4; Isaiah 31:7.

Note: “The redeemed will be welcomed to the home that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth, liars, idolaters, the impure, and unbelieving; but they will associate with those who have overcome Satan and through divine grace have formed perfect characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection, that afflicts them here has been removed by the blood of Christ, and the excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun, is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His character, shines through them, in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault before the great white throne, sharing the dignity and the privileges of the angels.

“In view of the glorious inheritance that may be his, ‘what shall a man give in exchange for his soul’ (Matthew 16:26)? He may be poor, yet he possesses in himself a wealth and dignity that the world could never bestow. The soul redeemed and cleansed from sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth; and there is joy in heaven in the presence of God and the holy angels over one soul redeemed, a joy that is expressed in songs of holy triumph.” Steps to Christ, 126.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What are the results of a deceptive communication?

2 How does dishonesty affect the one who deceives?

3 How do Christian stewards treat others in their financial dealings?

4 Who is the Christian steward’s financial counselor?

5 What should remind us of the temporal nature of material wealth?

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

Bible Study Guides – Problems to Overcome (I)

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July 13, 2014 – July 19, 2014

Key Text

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:16.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 242–248.

Introduction

“Whether we recognize it or not, we are stewards, supplied from God with talents and facilities, and placed in the world to do a work appointed by Him.” Education, 137.

1 ENVY AND KINDRED SINS

  • Explain the origin of pride, envy, and ambition for position—and its bitter results. Isaiah 14:12–15.

Note: “It was pride and ambition that prompted Lucifer to complain of the government of God, and to seek the overthrow of the order which had been established in heaven. Since his fall it has been his object to infuse the same spirit of envy and discontent, the same ambition for position and honor, into the minds of men.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 403.

  • Describe a carnal mind—a candidate for the second death? I Corinthians 3:3; Romans 8:6, 7; James 3:14, 15.

Note: “If you open your heart to envy and evil surmising, the Holy Spirit cannot abide with you. Seek for the fullness that is in Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 191.

  • How does envy affect your personality and well-being? Job 5:2; Proverbs 14:30; 27:4.

Note: “The envious man diffuses poison wherever he goes, alienating friends and stirring up hatred and rebellion against God and man. He seeks to be thought best and greatest, not by putting forth heroic, self-denying efforts to reach the goal of excellence himself, but by standing where he is and diminishing the merit due to the efforts of others.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 56.

2 COVETOUSNESS

  • In what sense does covetousness violate the commandments of God? Exodus 20:17. What do we learn about this sin from the experience of Achan? Joshua 7:20–26.

Note: “The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin, and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.

“Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

“Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. God has declared it to be idolatry. We are warned, ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon’ (Matthew 6:24). ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness’ (Luke 12:15). ‘Let it not be once named among you’ (Ephesians 5:3). We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have that of Lucifer, the ‘son of the morning,’ who, coveting a higher state, forfeited forever the brightness and bliss of heaven. And yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 496, 497.

  • What should be our relationship with those who are controlled by the spirit of covetousness? Ephesians 5:5; I Corinthians 5:11.
  • Among what other sinners will covetous persons be kept out of the kingdom of God? I Corinthians 6:10.

3 GREED

  • As envy and covetousness take root in the heart, what follows? Job 5:2, 4, 5.

Note: “The Scriptures describe the condition of the world just before Christ’s second coming. James the apostle pictures the greed and oppression that will prevail. He says, ‘Go to now, ye rich men … ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton. Ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you’ (James 5:1–6). This is a picture of what exists today. By every species of oppression and extortion, men are piling up colossal fortunes, while the cries of starving humanity are coming up before God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 170.

  • What often happens when wealth is selfishly retained by their greedy owners? Ecclesiastes 5:13.
  • How do wicked people reveal what is in their heart and mind? Psalm 10:3.

Note: “Men in their blindness boast of wonderful progress and enlightenment; but to the eye of Omniscience are revealed the inward guilt and depravity. The heavenly watchers see the earth filled with violence and crime. Wealth is obtained by every species of robbery, not robbery of men only, but of God. Men are using His means to gratify their selfishness. Everything they can grasp is made to minister to their greed. Avarice and sensuality prevail. Men cherish the attributes of the first great deceiver. They have accepted him as God, and have become imbued with his spirit.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 14, 15.

4 PRIDE

  • The concept of pride is highly valued in this world. How does Scripture describe pride? Proverbs 16:5.
  • What will the Lord do to the proud? Proverbs 15:25; 16:18, 19; Luke 18:14. Describe what the servant of the Lord was shown regarding the outcome of the proud.

Note: “I saw that God hates pride, and that all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 132.

  • Rather than pride, what is seen in the life of the Christian steward? James 4:6.

Note: “All who study the life of Christ and practice His teaching will become like Christ. Their influence will be like His. They will reveal soundness of character. They are established in the faith, and will not be overcome by the devil because of vanity and pride. They seek to walk the humble path of obedience, doing the will of God. Their character exerts an influence that tells for the advancement of the cause of God and the healthful purity of His work. …

“In these thoroughly converted souls the world has a witness to the sanctifying power of truth upon the human character. Through them Christ makes known to the world His character and will. In the lives of God’s children is revealed the blessedness of serving the Lord, and the opposite is seen in those who do not keep His commandments. The line of demarcation is distinct. All who obey God’s commandments are kept by His mighty power amid the corrupting influence of the transgressors of His law. From the lowliest subject to the highest in positions of trust, they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” Evangelism, 315, 316.

5 THE LOVE OF MONEY

  • What will the love of money bring you? I Timothy 6:10; Ecclesiastes 5:10.

Note: “The Bible condemns no man for being rich, if he has acquired his riches honestly. Not money, but the love of money, is the root of all evil. It is God who gives men power to get wealth; and in the hands of him who acts as God’s steward, using his means unselfishly, wealth is a blessing, both to its possessor and to the world. But many, absorbed in their interest in worldly treasures, become insensible to the claims of God and the needs of their fellow men. They regard their wealth as a means of glorifying themselves. They add house to house, and land to land; they fill their homes with luxuries, while all about them are human beings in misery and crime, in disease and death. Those who thus give their lives to self-serving are developing in themselves, not the attributes of God, but the attributes of the wicked one.” The Ministry of Healing, 212, 213.

  • What is the top priority in the life of every faithful steward? I Corinthians 2:2; Matthew 6:33; Luke 9:25.

Note: “When the sinner reaches the cross, and looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.” The Review and Herald, April 29, 1902.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How will envy impact your stewardship?

2 What kind of association should you have with persons who do not follow the principles of Christian stewardship?

3 What is the result of living a greedy life?

4 What is the basis of your financial decisions?

5 Explain the danger of becoming preoccupied with material goods.

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

Bible Study Guides – Qualities of Genuine Stewardship

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July 6, 2014 – July 12, 2014

Key Text

“Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.” Psalm 119:57.

Study Help: Child Guidance, 150–168.

Introduction

“All that we possess, our mental and physical powers, all the blessings of the present and the future life, are delivered to us stamped with the cross of Calvary.” The Review and Herald, December 14, 1886.

1 CONTENTMENT

  • What do Christian stewards realize about all of their earthly possessions? Job 1:21.

Note: “All things belong to God. Men may ignore His claims. While He bountifully bestows His blessings upon them, they may use His gifts for their own selfish gratification; but they will be called to give an account for their stewardship.

“A steward identifies himself with his master. He accepts the responsibilities of a steward, and he must act in his master’s stead, doing as his master would do were he presiding. His master’s interests become his. The position of a steward is one of dignity because his master trusts him. If in any wise he acts selfishly and turns the advantages gained by trading with his lord’s goods to his own advantage, he has perverted the trust reposed in him.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 246.

  • Why are Christian stewards content with their earthly possessions? Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 15:16; I Timothy 6:8.

Note: “We think of Jesus the Creator of all the worlds, and how He came into the world as a poor man. He had not where to lay His head. So poverty is no disgrace. Sin is a disgrace.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1514.

2 FAIRNESS

  • Since Christian stewards are content with their worldly possessions, how do they treat the earthly possessions of others? Deuteronomy 16:19.

Note: “In the last great issue between Christ’s followers and the powers of darkness, Satan offers his bribes to men and women. Some sell themselves for naught; for what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 243.

“We must feel a special interest in looking upon the things of others—not to covet them, not to find fault with them, not to remark upon them and present them in a false light, but to do strict justice in all things to our brethren and all with whom we have any dealings.” That I May Know Him, 176.

  • What does God want us to realize about the evils of partiality? Deuteronomy 24:17; Romans 2:11.

Note: “No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan’s influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free.” Prophets and Kings, 369, 370.

“The reason for all division, discord, and difference is found in separation from Christ. Christ is the center to which all should be attracted; for the nearer we approach the center, the closer we shall come together in feeling, in sympathy, in love, growing into the character and image of Jesus. With God there is no respect of persons. …

“The Son of the infinite God, the Lord of life and glory, descended in humiliation to the life of the lowliest, that no one might feel himself excluded from His presence. He made Himself accessible to all. He did not select a favored few with whom to associate and ignore all others.” That I May Know Him, 99.

3 HONESTY

  • What blessing is given to all who follow integrity in all their business transactions? Proverbs 10:9.
  • What should link the action, the words, and even the thoughts of the Christian steward? Proverbs 12:5, 17; 14:2.

Note: “By the terms of our stewardship we are placed under obligation, not only to God, but to man.” Education, 139.

  • How does the Lord consider those who are dishonest in business? Proverbs 16:11; 20:10.

Note: “It is neither the magnitude nor the seeming insignificance of a business transaction that makes it fair or unfair, honest or dishonest. By the least departure from rectitude we place ourselves on the enemy’s ground, and may go on, step by step, to any length of injustice. A large proportion of the Christian world divorce religion from their business. Testimonies, vol. 4, 337.

“An honest man, according to Christ’s measurement, is one who will manifest unbending integrity. Deceitful weights and false balances, with which many seek to advance their interests in the world, are abomination in the sight of God. Yet many who profess to keep the commandments of God are dealing with false weights and false balances. When a man is indeed connected with God, and is keeping His law in truth, his life will reveal the fact; for all his actions will be in harmony with the teachings of Christ. He will not sell his honor for gain. His principles are built upon the sure foundation, and his conduct in worldly matters is a transcript of his principles. Firm integrity shines forth as gold amid the dross and rubbish of the world. Deceit, falsehood, and unfaithfulness may be glossed over and hidden from the eyes of man, but not from the eyes of God. The angels of God, who watch the development of character and weigh moral worth, record in the books of heaven these minor transactions which reveal character. If a workman in the daily vocations of life is unfaithful and slights his work, the world will not judge incorrectly if they estimate his standard in religion according to his standard in business.” Ibid., 310, 311.

4 HUMILITY

  • What is the reward for the humble Christian steward? Psalm 37:11; Proverbs 22:4; Matthew 18:4.

Note: “Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another, this is the best gift that the heavenly Father can bestow. Let all believers draw near to God and to one another, that God may draw near to them. No man is to be exalted as supreme. No man is to suppose that he is infallible because he has been enlightened by God and used by Him in bringing souls to the truth. Our endowments are valuable only as they are used as God’s entrusted talents to magnify the truth. The one through whom God works is never to exalt himself, never to seek to rule. As a wise steward, he is to do his work in sincerity and humility. He is to do God service by imparting what he has received, by speaking the truth in love in a clear, decided manner. Thus he is to enlighten others, remembering always that God only can impress the mind and purify the heart.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 275.

  • What must characterize all who seek to be among God’s elect? Proverbs 29:23.

Note: “Love, compassion, and tenderness are to be revealed amongst us. Put on, as the elect of God, mercy and kindness. The sins that were practiced before conversion are to be put off with the old man. With the new man, Christ Jesus, are to be put on ‘kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering’ (Colossians 3:12).

“Those who have risen with Christ to walk in newness of life are the elect of God. They are holy unto the Lord, and are acknowledged by Him as His beloved. As such, they are under solemn covenant to distinguish themselves by showing humility of mind. They are to clothe themselves in garments of righteousness. They are separate from the world, from its spirit, its practices, and they are to reveal that they are learning of Him who says, ‘I am meek and lowly in heart’ (Matthew 11:29). If they realize that they have died with Christ, if they keep their baptismal vow, the world will have no power to draw them aside to deny Christ. If they live the life of Christ in this world, they are partakers of the divine nature. Then, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, they also will appear with Him in glory.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 236, 237.

5 OBEDIENCE

  • What characteristics were shown to John the Revelator when he saw the people of God in these last days? Revelation 14:12.
  • Where do we find instructions concerning legitimate business principles? Deuteronomy 5:32; 25:13–15; Luke 11:28.

Note: “There is no branch of legitimate business for which the Bible does not afford an essential preparation. Its principles of diligence, honesty, thrift, temperance, and purity are the secret of true success. These principles, as set forth in the book of Proverbs, constitute a treasury of practical wisdom. Where can the merchant, the artisan, the director of men in any department of business, find better maxims for himself or for his employees than are found in these words of the wise man: [Proverbs 22:29; 14:23; 13:4; 23:21; 20:19; 17:27; 20:3; 4:14; 6:28; 13:20; 18:24 quoted.] …

“How many a man might have escaped financial failure and ruin by heeding the warnings, so often repeated and emphasized in the Scriptures. …

“These are principles with which are bound up the well-being of society, of both secular and religious associations. It is these principles that give security to property and life. For all that makes confidence and co-operation possible, the world is indebted to the law of God, as given in His word, and as still traced, in lines often obscure and well-nigh obliterated, in the hearts of men.” Education, 135–137.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can you be content with your earthly possessions?

2 How should you treat others in your financial transactions?

3 What blessings will you receive if you are honest in all your transactions?

4 How can humility be manifested in my life in practical ways?

5 Name some benefits pertaining to financial honesty.

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