Bible Study Guides – “We Are His Witnesses of These Things”

July 9-15, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.” Acts 22:15.

STUDY HELP: Christian Service, 15–24.

INTRODUCTION: “The Master has given to every man his work. He has given to every man according to his ability, and his trust is in proportion to his capacity. God requires every one to be a worker in His vineyard. You are to take up the work that has been placed in your charge, and to do it faithfully. ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’” Review and Herald, May 1, 1888.

“How Shall They Hear?”

1 What did the Master say to those who did not answer the call to work in His vineyard? Matthew 20:6.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 110.

2 What has Christ provided to enable each Christian to do His appointed work? Romans 12:4–8.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 274.

“Unlearned and Ignorant Men”

3 What was the world’s estimate of Peter and John as they witnessed for the Master? Acts 4:13, first part.

NOTE: “There are many who will spend and be spent to win souls to Christ. In obedience to the great commission, they will go forth to work for the Master. Under the ministration of angels ordinary men will be moved by the Spirit of God to warn people in the highways and byways. Humble men, who do not trust in their gifts, but who work in simplicity, trusting always in God, will share in the joy of the Saviour as their persevering prayers bring souls to the cross.” This Day With God, 227.

4 What sort of person does God most commonly call to His service? 1 Corinthians 1:26, 27.

NOTE: “Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native ability, and they were humble and teachable,—men whom He could educate for His work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading the round of daily toil, unconscious that he possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world’s most honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be His co-laborers; and He gave them the advantage of association with Himself. Never had the world’s great men such a teacher. When the disciples came forth from the Saviour’s training, they were no longer ignorant and uncultured. They had become like Him in mind and character, and men took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.” Conflict and Courage, 282.

“I Will Pour Out My Spirit”

5 On what different kinds of people will God pour out His Spirit? Acts 2:17, 18.

NOTE: “Time is short, and there is much to be done. Let all who can, old and young, men, women and children, take up this work. As they go forth, the Lord will open the way before them. The words that they speak will be as seeds sown in good ground. Many souls will be saved as a result of their willing service.” Indiana Reporter, September 2, 1903.

“Christ declared, ‘If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto Me.’ He is doing this work, but He calls upon old and young, men, women, and youth, to co-operate with Him. While Christ draws, those who have tasted of the word of life must draw with Christ. Human instrumentalities must co-operate with the divine intelligences.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 11.

6 What qualifications are needed to be a witness for God? Romans 12:1–3.

NOTE: “God’s cause at this time is in special need of men and women who possess Christlike qualifications for service, executive ability, and a large capacity for work, who have kind, warm, sympathetic hearts, sound common sense, and unbiased judgment; who will carefully weigh matters before they approve or condemn, and who can fearlessly say No, or Yea and Amen; who, because they are sanctified by the Spirit of God, practice the words ‘All ye are brethren,’ striving constantly to uplift and restore fallen humanity.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 88.

“A Love of the Truth”

7 What knowledge is essential for freedom from sin? John 8:32.

NOTE: See Prophets and Kings, 716.

8 What is even more essential than knowledge of the truth? 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11.

NOTE: “The five foolish virgins had lamps (this means a knowledge of Scripture truth), but they had not the grace of Christ. Day by day they went through a round of ceremonies and external duties, but their service was lifeless, devoid of the righteousness of Christ. The Sun of Righteousness did not shine in their hearts and minds, and they had not the love of the truth which conforms to the life and character, the image and superscription, of Christ. The oil of grace was not mingled with their endeavors. Their religion was a dry husk without the true kernel. They held fast to forms of doctrines, but they were deceived in their Christian life, full of self-righteousness, and failing to learn lessons in the school of Christ, which, if practised, would have made them wise unto salvation.” Review and Herald, March 27, 1894.

“Adorn the Doctrine of God Our Saviour in All Things”

9 How should the things a Christian believes affect his life? Titus 2:10, last part.

NOTE: “The Lord knows the thoughts and purposes of man, and how easily He can melt us! How His Spirit, like a fire, can subdue the flinty heart! How He can fill the soul with love and tenderness! How He can give us the graces of His Holy Spirit, and fit us to go in and out, in laboring for souls! The power of overcoming grace should be felt throughout the church today; and it may be felt, if we take heed to the counsels of Christ to His followers. As we learn to adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour we shall surely see the salvation of God.” Counsels on Stewardship, 189.

“Those who make any pretensions to godliness should adorn the doctrine they profess and not give occasion for the truth to be reviled through their inconsiderate course of action. ‘Owe no man anything,’ says the apostle. You ought now, my brother, to take hold earnestly to correct your habits of indolence, redeeming the time. Let the world see that the truth has wrought a reformation in your life.” Testimonies vol. 5, 181.

10 As their enemies observed Peter and John, what did they realize about them? Acts 4:13, last part.

NOTE: See Acts of the Apostles, 45.

“Be Not Afraid of Their Faces”

11 What counsel was Jeremiah given when God chose Him to witness for Him? Jeremiah 1:8, 9.

NOTE: “The same God who gave His messages to Moses and Jeremiah will give His word to His witnesses in this generation. ‘For it is not ye that speak,’ Christ declares, ‘but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.’” Review and Herald, May 24, 1898. See also Acts of the Apostles, 600.

12 What reaction to our witness may we also expect? Ezekiel 33:31, 32.

NOTE: “They see the preciousness of the love of Christ. They see the beauty of His character, the possibilities of a life given to His service. But in contrast they see the life of those who profess to revere God’s precepts. Of how many are the words true that were spoken to the prophet Ezekiel…. It is one thing to treat the Bible as a book of good moral instruction, to be heeded so far as is consistent with the spirit of the times and our position in the world; it is another thing to regard it as it really is—the word of the living God, the word that is our life, the word that is to mould our actions, our words, and our thoughts. To hold God’s word as anything less than this is to reject it.” Education, 259, 260.

Bible Study Guides – The Failure of a Ghastly Experiment

December 12, 2010 – December 18, 2010

Key Text

“And when they [the two witnesses] shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.” Revelation 11:7.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, 275–288.

Introduction

“It had been Rome’s policy, under a profession of reverence for the Bible, to keep it locked up in an unknown tongue and hidden away from the people. Under her rule the witnesses prophesied ‘clothed in sackcloth’ [Revelation 11:3]. But another power—the beast from the bottomless pit—was to arise to make open, avowed war upon the word of God.” The Great Controversy, 269.

1 What had God declared of His two witnesses—the Old and New Testaments—during the 1260-year period of papal persecution? Revelation 11:2–6. What was to occur just as they were finishing their testimony? Revelation 11:7.

Note: “[Revelation 11:7 quoted.] The period when the two witnesses were to prophesy clothed in sackcloth, ended in 1798. As they were approaching the termination of their work in obscurity, war was to be made upon them by the power represented as ‘the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit’ [Revelation 11:7].” The Great Controversy, 268.

2 As a nation which had long been a stronghold of papal power and total suppression of God’s Word, why was France ripe for revolution? John 3:19.

Note: “The war against the Bible, carried forward for so many centuries in France, culminated in the scenes of the Revolution. That terrible outbreaking was but the legitimate result of Rome’s suppression of the Scriptures.” The Great Controversy, 265.

3 How did the prophecy of Revelation 11:7 meet its fulfillment?

Note: “The atheistical power that ruled in France during the Revolution and the Reign of Terror, did wage such a war against God and His holy word as the world had never witnessed. The worship of the Deity was abolished by the National Assembly. Bibles were collected and publicly burned with every possible manifestation of scorn. The law of God was trampled underfoot. The institutions of the Bible were abolished. The weekly rest day was set aside, and in its stead every tenth day was devoted to reveling and blasphemy. Baptism and the Communion were prohibited. And announcements posted conspicuously over the burial places declared death to be an eternal sleep.” The Great Controversy, 273, 274.

4 In a spiritual sense, what two characteristics—one of Egypt and one of Sodom—were found in France during the revolution? Revelation 11:8; Exodus 5:1, 2; Ezekiel 16:49.

Note: “ ‘The great city’ in whose streets the witnesses are slain, and where their dead bodies lie, is ‘spiritually’ Egypt. Of all nations presented in Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever ventured upon more open and highhanded rebellion against the authority of Heaven than did the king of Egypt. When the message was brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh proudly answered: ‘Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.’ Exodus 5:2, A.R.V. This is atheism, and the nation represented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of the claims of the living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief and defiance. ‘The great city’ is also compared, ‘spiritually,’ to Sodom. The corruption of Sodom in breaking the law of God was especially manifested in licentiousness. And this sin was also to be a pre-eminent characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the specifications of this scripture.

“According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before the year 1798 some power of satanic origin and character would rise to make war upon the Bible. And in the land where the testimony of God’s two witnesses should thus be silenced, there would be manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh and the licentiousness of Sodom.” The Great Controversy, 269.

5 How had Rome inflamed the kings against Protestantism at the beginning of the sixteenth century? What scriptural law was now being fulfilled in France? Galatians 6:7.

Note: “It was popery that had begun the work which atheism was completing. The policy of Rome had wrought out those conditions, social, political, and religious, that were hurrying France on to ruin. Writers, in referring to the horrors of the Revolution, say that these excesses are to be charged upon the throne and the church. In strict justice they are to be charged upon the church. Popery had poisoned the minds of kings against the Reformation, as an enemy to the crown, an element of discord that would be fatal to the peace and harmony of the nation. It was the genius of Rome that by this means inspired the direst cruelty and the most galling oppression which proceeded from the throne.” The Great Controversy, 276, 277.

“Unhappy France reaped in blood the harvest she had sown. Terrible were the results of her submission to the controlling power of Rome. Where France, under the influence of Romanism, had set up the first stake at the opening of the Reformation, there the Revolution set up its first guillotine. On the very spot where the first martyrs to the Protestant faith were burned in the sixteenth century, the first victims were guillotined in the eighteenth. In repelling the gospel, which would have brought her healing, France had opened the door to infidelity and ruin.” Ibid., 282.

6 How did Scripture prophesy of the massacre of St. Bartholomew? Revelation 11:9, 10. Into what category will those who lost their lives in this darkest crime of the dark period be reckoned? Hebrews 11:36–38. How many were slain?

Note: “Blackest in the black catalogue of crime, most horrible among the fiendish deeds of all the dreadful centuries, was the St. Bartholomew Massacre. The world still recalls with shuddering horror the scenes of that most cowardly and cruel onslaught. The king of France, urged on by Romish priests and prelates, lent his sanction to the dreadful work. …

“Throughout France the butchery continued for two months. Seventy thousand of the very flower of the nation perished.” The Great Controversy, 272.

7 What are we all to learn from the real cause of the shame and reproach that came upon France? Proverbs 14:34.

Note: “The fatal error which wrought such woe for the inhabitants of France was the ignoring of this one great truth: that true freedom lies within the proscriptions of the law of God. …

“Atheists, infidels, and apostates oppose and denounce God’s law; but the results of their influence prove that the well-being of man is bound up with his obedience of the divine statutes. Those who will not read the lesson from the book of God are bidden to read it in the history of nations.” The Great Controversy, 285.

8 Upon what does the welfare of the family, the church, and the nation depend? Proverbs 1:33; Isaiah 48:18, 22.

9 What does God declare in the midst of crises such as happened in France? Jeremiah 16:20, 21. How did His two witnesses vindicate His name in that nation—and touch the lives of people all over the world? Revelation 11:11, 12.

Note: “God’s faithful witnesses, slain by the blasphemous power that ‘ascendeth out of the bottomless pit,’ were not long to remain silent. ‘After three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.’ Revelation 11:11. It was in 1793 that the decrees which abolished the Christian religion and set aside the Bible passed the French Assembly. Three years and a half later a resolution rescinding these decrees, thus granting toleration to the Scriptures, was adopted by the same body. The world stood aghast at the enormity of guilt which had resulted from a rejection of the Sacred Oracles, and men recognized the necessity of faith in God and His word as the foundation of virtue and morality. Saith the Lord: ‘Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.’ Isaiah 37:23. …

“Since France made war upon God’s two witnesses, they have been honored as never before.” The Great Controversy, 287.

10 When was the period of papal domination to end? Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:4–6.

Note: “The periods here mentioned—‘forty and two months,’ and ‘a thousand two hundred and threescore days’—are the same, alike representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer oppression from Rome. The 1260 years of papal supremacy began in A.D. 538, and would therefore terminate in 1798. At that time a French army entered Rome and made the pope a prisoner, and he died in exile. Though a new pope was soon afterward elected, the papal hierarchy has never since been able to wield the power which it before possessed.” The Great Controversy, 266.

11 What prophecy of Jesus indicated that the Lord in His mercy would cut short the tribulation within that period? Mark 13:19, 20.

Note: “The persecution of the church did not continue throughout the entire period of the 1260 years. God in mercy to His people cut short the time of their fiery trial. In foretelling the ‘great tribulation’ to befall the church, the Saviour said: ‘Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.’ Matthew 24:22. Through the influence of the Reformation the persecution was brought to an end prior to 1798.” The Great Controversy, 266, 267.

Personal Review Questions

1 What were the seeds of the French Revolution?

2 What was the blackest blot in the Dark Ages and how many were directly affected?

3 What restrained the tyranny even before the time had fully elapsed?

4 How were the persecutors finally rewarded?

5 What is given men to keep them from falling into such traps?

Additional Reading

“Then came those days when the most barbarous of all codes was administered by the most barbarous of all tribunals; when no man could greet his neighbors or say his prayers … without danger of committing a capital crime; when spies lurked in every corner; when the guillotine was long and hard at work every morning; when the jails were filled as close as the holds of a slave ship; when the gutters ran foaming with blood into the Seine. … While the daily wagonloads of victims were carried to their doom through the streets of Paris, the proconsuls, whom the sovereign committee had sent forth to the departments, reveled in an extravagance of cruelty unknown even in the capital. …

“All this was as Satan would have it. This was what for ages he had been working to secure. His policy is deception from first to last, and his steadfast purpose is to bring woe and wretchedness upon men, to deface and defile the workmanship of God, to mar the divine purposes of benevolence and love, and thus cause grief in heaven. Then by his deceptive arts he blinds the minds of men, and leads them to throw back the blame of his work upon God, as if all this misery were the result of the Creator’s plan. In like manner, when those who have been degraded and brutalized through his cruel power achieve their freedom, he urges them on to excesses and atrocities. Then this picture of unbridled license is pointed out by tyrants and oppressors as an illustration of the results of liberty. …

“The fatal error which wrought such woe for the inhabitants of France was the ignoring of this one great truth: that true freedom lies within the proscriptions of the law of God. ‘O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.’ ‘There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.’ ‘But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.’ Isaiah 48:18, 22; Proverbs 1:33.” The Great Controversy, 284, 285.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission

The Two Witnesses

The setting in Revelation 11 for the two witnesses is the 1,260-year time period, and the release of the two witnesses and their rise to prominence in the world has more to do with the second-advent movement than with the Dark Ages. It is during the great second-advent movement that the Bible has received so much attention and wide circulation. Let us read the prophecy of the two witnesses.

“I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, ‘Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.

But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.’

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.

The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” Revelation 11:1–13.

This is a very interesting description of the two witnesses. Two times the 1,260-year time period is mentioned: in verse 2, “They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” And in verse 3 this same time period is mentioned as 1,260 days or years: “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” As used in prophecy, a month is equal to 30 days. Thirty times 42 months equals 1,260 days or years.

There is an explanation of these verses in The Great Controversy, 266, as follows: “The periods here mentioned—‘forty and two months,’ and ‘a thousand two hundred and threescore days’—are the same, alike representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer oppression from Rome. The 1,260 years of papal supremacy began in A.D. 538, and would therefore terminate in 1798.”

We see that the setting for the two witnesses is the Dark Ages of papal oppression. This was one more attack by Satan to destroy the knowledge of the plan of redemption, the new covenant ministry of Christ in the sanctuary.

Many ask what it means to be “clothed in sackcloth.” This is explained in a reference from The Great Controversy, 267: “When the Bible was proscribed by religious and secular authority; when its testimony was perverted, and every effort made that men and demons could invent to turn the minds of the people from it … then the faithful witnesses prophesied in sackcloth.”

The two witnesses (verse 3) are not directly identified in this chapter. There are several symbols used to represent them. Two symbols are found in verse 4: “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” In verse 6 is another symbol in which they are personified as men: “These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying.”

There is one more symbol, and it is found in verse 10: “The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

Let us make an observation about these symbols. When the two witnesses are represented as “these men,” it indicates that they have a human aspect to them. And when they are represented as “prophets,” they are understood to be under divine inspiration.

We are told in the introduction of The Great Controversy, v, vi: “The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human. Such a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of God and the Son of man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of Christ, that ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.’ John 1:14.”

As Christ was both human and divine, so the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are a combination of the human and the divine. As Jesus was God’s representative of truth to the people in the first advent, so the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy stand in the place of Christ to witness to the truth in the second advent. The way people relate to the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy is just the way they would treat Jesus if He were here in person. It is possible that they could be a symbol of the Scriptures, for it says in Revelation 11:4, “These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.”

In The Great Controversy, 267 there is a statement so specific that it settles their identity beyond question. “Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: ‘These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.’ ‘Thy word,’ said the psalmist, ‘is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ Revelation 11:4; Psalm 119:105. The two witnesses represent the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Both are important testimonies to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. Both are witnesses also to the plan of salvation.”

We now understand that Revelation 11:1–13 is a description of the way the Bible was treated during the 1,260 years of papal oppression and what God is going to do with the Bible at the end of that time period.

The next verse, Revelation 11:5, is very specific about how to deal with those who try to harm the Old and New Testaments, the Bible: “If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.”

What does the phrase mean “fire comes from their mouths”? We know that “from their mouths” is a symbol for speaking. The phrase “fire comes from their mouths” means that anyone who harms them will be destroyed by fire.

Revelation 20:9, 10 tells us how this prophecy will be fulfilled: “They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.”

This shows the importance of reverence for the Bible. True Christians will show much respect and reverence for the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. The following statement from The Great Controversy, 268 will be very helpful to read:

“The meaning of this fearful denunciation is set forth in the closing chapter of the Revelation: ‘I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.’ Revelation 22:18, 19.

“Such are the warnings which God has given to guard men against changing in any manner that which He has revealed or commanded. These solemn denunciations apply to all who by their influence lead men to regard lightly the law of God.”

Returning to our main text, the next verse in Revelation 11 presents even more interesting symbolism: “These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague.” Verse 6.

Let us turn back to the Old Testament and read about an event that happened in the time of Elijah, where the word of God literally shut up the sky so that it did not rain for three and a half years.

In I Kings 17:1, it says, “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.’ ”

There is a comment from the book Prophets and Kings, 120, 121 about this event: “To Elijah was entrusted the mission of delivering to Ahab Heaven’s message of judgment. He did not seek to be the Lord’s messenger; the word of the Lord came to him.”

We see in this statement that it was the “word of the Lord” that shut up the skies so it would not rain for three and a half years. The word of God has power, even over the elements.

The word of God has power to turn water to blood also. There is an event recorded in the Old Testament in which the word of the Lord turned water to blood and a prophecy in the New Testament, which says that this will happen again. In Exodus 7:19 it says, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs”—and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.’ ”

There is another description of this event found in Patriarchs and Prophets, 265: “Moses and Aaron were directed to visit the riverside next morning, where the king was accustomed to repair. … Here the two brothers again repeated the message to him, and then they stretched out the rod and smote upon the water. The sacred stream ran blood, the fish died, and the river became offensive to the smell. The water in the houses, the supply preserved in cisterns, was likewise changed to blood.”

In the New Testament the prophecy that water will again turn to blood is recorded in Revelation 16:3, 4: “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.”

In these events we understand that the word of the Lord is very powerful. It is very important that the sinner show reverence, respect and obedience to the Bible, lest it pronounce these severe judgments upon him.

The next four verses, Revelation 11:7–10, describe a very interesting event using many symbols: “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

“When they shall have finished [are finishing] their testimony,” means that toward the end of the 1,260-year time period a beast coming up out of the abyss will attack the Bible. “The period when the two witnesses were to prophesy clothed in sackcloth, ended in 1798. As they were approaching the termination of their work in obscurity, war was to be made upon them by the power represented as ‘the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit.’ …

“But another power—the beast from the bottomless pit—was to arise to make open, avowed war upon the word of God.” The Great Controversy, 268, 269.

The symbolism is a little difficult to understand at this point, but there are some explanations in The Great Controversy that will make things clear so that we may understand the prophecy. In verse 8 a couple of clues are given to help us find out who the beast represents and what the abyss is.

“Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt.” Revelation 11:8.

This verse is saying that the beast coming out of the abyss will manifest characteristics similar to Sodom and Egypt. Egypt is known for its defiance of God, especially at the time of the exodus. “Of all nations presented in Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever ventured upon more open and highhanded rebellion against the authority of Heaven than did the king of Egypt. When the message was brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh proudly answered: ‘Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.’ Exodus 5:2, A.R.V. This is atheism, and the nation represented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of the claims of the living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief and defiance. ‘The great city’ is also compared, ‘spiritually,’ to Sodom. The corruption of Sodom in breaking the law of God was especially manifested in licentiousness. And this sin was also to be a pre-eminent characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the specifications of this scripture.” Ibid., 269.

The time of the beast to rise up is made quite clear in the following statement: “According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before the year 1798 some power of satanic origin and character would rise to make war upon the Bible. And in the land where the testimony of God’s two witnesses should thus be silenced, there would be manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh and the licentiousness of Sodom.” Ibid.

We still don’t have an answer as to who the beast represents. So let’s look further into the information given in Revelation 11:9–11:

“And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” (KJV)

The Great Controversy gives us an explanation of these verses and the history that is a fulfillment of these events.

“This prophecy has received a most exact and striking fulfillment in the history of France. During the Revolution, in 1793, ‘The world for the first time heard an assembly of men, born and educated in civilization, and assuming the right to govern one of the finest of the European nations, uplift their united voice to deny the most solemn truth which man’s soul receives, and renounce unanimously the belief and worship of a Deity.’—Sir Walter Scott, Life of Napoleon, vol. 1, ch. 17. ‘France is the only nation in the world concerning which the authentic record survives, that as a nation she lifted her hand in open rebellion against the Author of the universe. Plenty of blasphemers, plenty of infidels, there have been, and still continue to be, in England, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere; but France stands apart in the world’s history as the single state which, by the decree of her Legislative Assembly, pronounced that there was no God, and of which the entire population of the capital, and a vast majority elsewhere, women as well as men, danced and sang with joy in accepting the announcement.’—Blackwood’s Magazine, November, 1870.

“France presented also the characteristics which especially distinguished Sodom. During the Revolution there was manifest a state of moral debasement and corruption similar to that which brought destruction upon the cities of the plain. And the historian presents together the atheism and the licentiousness of France, as given in the prophecy: ‘Intimately connected with these laws affecting religion, was that which reduced the union of marriage—the most sacred engagement which human beings can form, and the permanence of which leads most strongly to the consolidation of society—to the state of a mere civil contract of a transitory character, which any two persons might engage in and cast loose at pleasure. … Sophie Arnoult, an actress famous for the witty things she said, described the republican marriage as “the sacrament of adultery.” ’—Scott, vol. 1, ch. 17.” The Great Controversy, 269–271.

I would like to go back to Revelation 11:8 and make a brief comment about the last part of the verse: “Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.”

In The Great Controversy, 271 it states, “ ‘Where also our Lord was crucified” [Revelation 11:8]. This specification of the prophecy was also fulfilled by France. In no land had the spirit of enmity against Christ been more strikingly displayed. In no country had the truth encountered more bitter and cruel opposition. In the persecution which France had visited upon the confessors of the gospel, she had crucified Christ in the person of His disciples.” Ibid., 271.

“It was in 1793 that the decrees which abolished the Christian religion and set aside the Bible passed the French Assembly. Three years and a half later a resolution rescinding these decrees, thus granting toleration to the Scriptures, was adopted by the same body.” Ibid., 287.

In Revelation 11:13 there is a symbolic description of the effect this legislation had on the nation of France: “At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” [Most commentators believe the quote ‘seven thousand people’ are the nobility that were destroyed by the French revolution.]

“Those who had chosen the service of rebellion were left to reap its fruits until the land was filled with crimes too horrible for pen to trace. From devastated provinces and ruined cities a terrible cry was heard—a cry of bitterest anguish. France was shaken as if by an earthquake. Religion, law, social order, the family, the state, and the church—all were smitten down by the impious hand that had been lifted against the law of God.” Ibid., 286.

After the action of the French assembly was rescinded, a wonderful change for the better took place for the two witnesses. It is recorded in Revelation 11:11, 12: “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

“Since France made war upon God’s two witnesses, they have been honored as never before. In 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was organized. This was followed by similar organizations, with numerous branches, upon the continent of Europe. In 1816 the American Bible Society was founded. When the British Society was formed, the Bible had been printed and circulated in fifty tongues. It has since been translated into many hundreds of languages and dialects. …

“But toward the close of the eighteenth century a great change took place. Men became dissatisfied with the results of rationalism and realized the necessity of divine revelation and experimental religion. From this time the work of foreign missions attained an unprecedented growth.”

“The improvements in printing have given an impetus to the work of circulating the Bible. The increased facilities for communication between different countries, the breaking down of ancient barriers of prejudice and national exclusiveness, and the loss of secular power by the pontiff of Rome have opened the way for the entrance of the word of God. For some years the Bible has been sold without restraint in the streets of Rome, and it has now been carried to every part of the habitable globe.” Ibid., 287, 288.

And today we see the continuing expansion of the circulation of the Bible throughout the world in the printed and electronic media. Thus we see the prophecy of the two witnesses being fulfilled at the present time to meet the needs of the people in the great second-advent movement. What a blessing this has been in the proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages!

Everyone today who is within reach of the Scriptures has the privilege and responsibility of learning about the Three Angels’ Messages, the Investigative Judgment and the Second Coming of Jesus.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New International Version.)

Maurice Hoppe is retired and volunteers at Steps to Life. His primary responsibility is working with the Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders and the Training Program for Lay Workers. He also conducts a Bible Correspondence School from his home with emphasis on Bible prophecy. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Bible Study Guides – A Holy Nation

June 21, 2015 – June 27, 2015

Key Text

“Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Exodus 19:6.

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 286–293; The Acts of the Apostles, 14–16.

Introduction

“God desired to make of His people Israel a praise and a glory. …

“Their obedience to the laws of God would make them marvels of prosperity before the nations of the world.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 221, 222.

1 A CHOSEN PEOPLE

  • When the people of Israel were told that they were chosen to be a special people, a holy nation, entrusted with a specific mission, what did they answer? Exodus 19:8.

Note: “God had promised to be their [Israel’s] God, to take them to Himself as a people, and to lead them to a large and good land; but they were ready to faint at every obstacle encountered in the way to that land. In a marvelous manner He had brought them out from their bondage in Egypt, that He might elevate and ennoble them and make them a praise in the earth.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 292.

  • After all the commandments of the holy Law of God were declared to the people, what did they say? Exodus 24:3, 7.

Note: “God had chosen Israel as His people, and they had chosen Him as their King.” Prophets and Kings, 293.

2 A LIGHT IN THE WORLD

  • Near the end of their pilgrimage, how were the conditions of the covenant repeated to the Israelites? Deuteronomy 4:1, 2.

Note: “Through Moses they [the Israelites] were warned against the temptations that would assail them in the future; and they were earnestly exhorted to remain separate from the surrounding nations and to worship God alone.” Prophets and Kings, 294.

  • It was the purpose of God to set up Israel as a light in the world. What was Moses instructed to say to them? Deuteronomy 4:5–8.

Note: “Through the Jewish nation it was God’s purpose to impart rich blessings to all peoples. … The nations of the world, through following corrupt practices, had lost the knowledge of God. Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them opportunity for becoming acquainted with Him through His church. He designed that the principles revealed through His people should be the means of restoring the moral image of God in man.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 286.

  • On what condition would the Lord extend His merciful hand toward them? Deuteronomy 4:29–31.
  • What would happen to them were they to forget the covenant of the Lord and turn away from Him? Deuteronomy 4:23–27.

Note: “Moses traced the evils that would result from a departure from the statutes of Jehovah. Calling heaven and earth to witness, he declared that if, after having dwelt long in the Land of Promise, the people should introduce corrupt forms of worship and bow down to graven images and should refuse to return to the worship of the true God, the anger of the Lord would be aroused, and they would be carried away captive and scattered among the heathen.” Prophets and Kings, 295.

3 A DIVINE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

  • That Israel might be the light of the world, they needed to be an educated people. What duty was entrusted to the parents in Israel? Deuteronomy 6:6–9.

Note: “God had commanded the Hebrews to teach their children His requirements and to make them acquainted with all His dealings with their fathers. This was one of the special duties of every parent—one that was not to be delegated to another. In the place of stranger lips the loving hearts of the father and mother were to give instruction to their children.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 592.

  • Is education necessary as a preparation for the gospel work? II Timothy 2:15.

Note: “Christ is the ‘Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world’ (John 1:9). As through Christ every human being has life, so also through Him every soul receives some ray of divine light. Not only intellectual but spiritual power, a perception of right, a desire for goodness, exists in every heart. But against these principles there is struggling an antagonistic power. The result of the eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is manifest in every man’s experience. There is in his nature a bent to evil, a force which, unaided, he cannot resist. To withstand this force, to attain that ideal which in his inmost soul he accepts as alone worthy, he can find help in but one power. That power is Christ. Co-operation with that power is man’s greatest need.” Education, 29.

  • What knowledge do we need so that our light may shine brighter and brighter? Matthew 5:14–16.

Note: “The minister, the missionary, the teacher, will find their influence with the people greatly increased when it is manifest that they possess the knowledge and skill required for the practical duties of everyday life.” Education, 221.

4 THE GREATEST NEED OF THE WORLD

  • What is the greatest need of the world today? John 1:9–12.

Note: “The world today is in crying need of a revelation of Christ Jesus in the person of His saints. God desires that His people shall stand before the world a holy people. Why?—because there is a world to be saved by the light of gospel truth; and as the message of truth that is to call men out of darkness into God’s marvelous light is given by the church, the lives of its members, sanctified by the Spirit of truth, are to bear witness to the verity of the messages proclaimed.

“God desires His people to place themselves in right relation to Him, that they may understand what He requires of them above all things else. They are to reveal to every struggling soul in the world what it means ‘to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly’ with their God (Micah 6:8). Wherever they are, at home or abroad, they are to be His commandment-keeping people. They are to have the assurance that their sins are forgiven, and that they are accepted as children of the Most High.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 458, 459.

  • For what purpose has the present truth contained in the threefold message (Revelation 14:6–12) been entrusted to the Advent people? Isaiah 60:1, 2.

Note: “The Lord in compassion is seeking to enlighten the understanding of those who are now groping in the darkness of error. He is delaying His judgments upon an impenitent world, in order that His light bearers may seek and save that which is lost. He is now calling upon His church on the earth to awake from the lethargy that Satan has sought to bring upon them, and fulfill their heaven-appointed work of enlightening the world. His message to His church at this time is, ‘Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee’ (Isaiah 60:1). To meet the conditions existing at the time when darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, the church of God has been commissioned to cooperate with God in shedding abroad the light of Bible truth.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 458.

5 THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND THE LAST MESSAGE

  • What responsibility has the Lord placed upon every believer in the threefold message? Philippians 2:15, 16.

Note: “The people of the world are worshiping false gods. They are to be turned from their false worship, not by hearing denunciation of their idols, but by beholding something better. God’s goodness is to be made known. ‘Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God’ (Isaiah 43:12). …

“We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences that we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity. … Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 299.

  • What does God intend to accomplish through His people today? Matthew 24:14.

Note: “Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that everyone shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth with power and great glory.” The Acts of the Apostles, 111.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How were the conditions of the covenant with the people repeated to them as they were approaching Canaan?

2 How did God use the principles revealed through Israel as a means of restoring His moral image in men and women?

3 What would happen to them were they to forget the covenant of the Lord and turn away from Him?

4 What emphasis was placed on education so that Israel might be the light of the world?

5 How are the people of the world to be turned from false worship?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – God’s Missionary Program to the World

September 27, 2015 – October 3, 2015

Key Text

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” Isaiah 2:3.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 17–22; The Acts of the Apostles, 14–16.

Introduction

“It was God’s purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel men should be drawn unto Him.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 290.

1 A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOD’S PEOPLE

  • Which was the first great nation that Heaven wanted to bless with the knowledge of the true God? Psalm 135:9.

Note: “The descendants of Abraham … were brought down to Egypt that … they might reveal the principles of God’s kingdom. The integrity of Joseph and his wonderful work in preserving the lives of the whole Egyptian people were a representation of the life of Christ. Moses and many others were witnesses for God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 286.

  • What evidence shows that the king, his courtiers, and the people in general had chosen to remain in spiritual darkness? Exodus 5:1, 2.

Note: “The Lord would give the Egyptians an opportunity to see how vain was the wisdom of their mighty men, how feeble the power of their gods, when opposed to the commands of Jehovah.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 263.

“If we sow pride, we shall reap pride; if we sow stubbornness, we shall reap stubbornness.” Lift Him Up, 266.

2 GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL

  • What important mission was entrusted to the children of Israel when they numbered over 2,000,000—and the time of their deliverance from Egypt had arrived? John 4:22; Deuteronomy 4:6–8.

Note: “God chose Israel to reveal His character to men. He desired them to be as wells of salvation in the world. To them were committed the oracles of heaven, the revelation of God’s will.” The Acts of the Apostles, 14.

  • For what purpose did God establish Israel in a strategic place, “in the midst of the nations”? Ezekiel 5:5.

Note: “God had designed that His people should be the light of the world. From them was to shine forth the glory of His law as revealed in the life practice. For the carrying out of this design, He had caused the chosen nation to occupy a strategic position among the nations of earth.

“In the days of Solomon the kingdom of Israel extended from Hamath on the north to Egypt on the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the river Euphrates. Through this territory ran many natural highways of the world’s commerce, and caravans from distant lands were constantly passing to and fro. …

“Placed at the head of a nation that had been set as a beacon light to the surrounding nations, Solomon should have used his … influence in … directing a great movement for the enlightenment of those who were ignorant of God and His truth.” Prophets and Kings, 70, 71.

  • How did the powers of darkness work to thwart the plan of God? I Kings 11:1, 2; Ecclesiastes 2:8, 9; 10:1.

Note: “The missionary spirit that God had implanted in the heart of Solomon and in the hearts of all true Israelites was supplanted by a spirit of commercialism. The opportunities afforded by contact with many nations were used for personal aggrandizement.” Prophets and Kings, 71.

3 GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE

  • Why were other nations disqualified for evangelizing the world? Leviticus 18:24, 25; Deuteronomy 9:4. What lesson did the inhabitants of the world gradually forget after the Flood? Genesis 6:5, 11, 17.
  • What conditions prevalent among many heathen nations demanded their destruction? Romans 1:19, 21, 23–25.

Note: “In many nations parents were abandoned or put to death as soon as age had rendered them incapable of providing for themselves. …

“By perverted conceptions of divine attributes, heathen nations were led to believe human sacrifices necessary to secure the favor of their deities; and the most horrible cruelties have been perpetrated under the various forms of idolatry. Among these was the practice of causing their children to pass through the fire before their idols. …

“The most licentious and abominable rites were made a part of the heathen worship. The gods themselves were represented as impure, and their worshipers gave the rein to the baser passions. Unnatural vices prevailed and the religious festivals were characterized by universal and open impurity.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 337, 338.

  • Does God send destruction without first sending warnings and calls for repentance? Ezekiel 18:21, 23; Amos 3:7. What happens to those who have exhausted the patience of God and are considered incurable? II Peter 3:5–7.

Note: “Could those whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with the heavenly throng and join their songs of praise? Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven.” The Great Controversy, 542, 543.

4 GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE (CONTINUED)

  • How do we know that the mercy of God was still extended towards the various nations that had not reached the point of no return? What was still granted to the Amorites under this plan? Genesis 15:16.

Note: “In the early days of Israel the nations of the world, through corrupt practices, had lost the knowledge of God. They had once known Him; but because ‘they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, … their foolish heart was darkened’ (Romans 1:21). Yet in His mercy God did not blot them out of existence. He purposed to give them an opportunity of again becoming acquainted with Him through His chosen people.” The Acts of the Apostles, 14.

  • What lesson can we learn from the way that God dealt with Nineveh? Jonah 3:10; 4:10, 11. What kind of missionary spirit did Jonah have?

Note: “When Jonah learned of God’s purpose to spare the city that, notwithstanding its wickedness, had been led to repent in sackcloth and ashes, he should have been the first to rejoice because of God’s amazing grace; but instead he allowed his mind to dwell upon the possibility of his being regarded as a false prophet.” Prophets and Kings, 271.

  • What encouraging message does God send to every missionary working in the cities? Acts 18:9.

Note: “God’s messengers in the great cities are not to become discouraged over the wickedness, the injustice, the depravity, which they are called upon to face while endeavoring to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation. … Let those engaged in soul-saving ministry remember that while there are many who will not heed the counsel of God in His word, the whole world will not turn from light and truth, from the invitations of a patient, forbearing Saviour.” Prophets and Kings, 277.

5 GOD’S JUDGMENTS STILL MINGLED WITH MERCY

  • Specify the two main effects of the judgment reserved for the time of the end. Isaiah 24:4–6; 26:21, 9.

Note: “The time is at hand when there will be sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal. The Spirit of God is being withdrawn. Disasters by sea and by land follow one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with great loss of life and property! Apparently these calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized, unregulated forces of nature, wholly beyond the control of man; but in them all, God’s purpose may be read. They are among the agencies by which He seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their danger.” Prophets and Kings, 277.

  • What does God say while His merciful hand is still held out to save those who want to be saved? Isaiah 55:6, 7.

Note: “In every city, filled though it may be with violence and crime, there are many who with proper teaching may learn to become followers of Jesus. Thousands may thus be reached with saving truth and be led to receive Christ as a personal Saviour.” Prophets and Kings, 277.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Why did God bring the descendents of Abraham out of Egypt?

2 What are we to learn today from the way God strategically established Israel “in the midst of the nations”?

3 How did the powers of darkness work to thwart God’s missionary plan?

4 How does the book of Jonah teach that God is happy to save rather than destroy wicked people?

5 What does the Lord want us to realize about those around us?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – What Is Gospel Ministry?

January 24, 2016 – January 30, 2016

Key Text

“Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.” Mark 14:7.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 637–641.

Introduction

“The fallen, the erring, and the sinful, Christ’s love embraces; and every deed of kindness done to uplift a fallen soul, every act of mercy, is accepted as done to Him.” Lift Him Up, 82.

1 WE ARE GOD’S STEWARDS

  • From the abundance with which God blesses the earth, what provision has He made for sustaining the poor? Psalms 65:9–11; 68:10; 107:9.
  • What duty does Christ enjoin on His followers when He says, “Blessed are the merciful”? Matthew 5:7.

Note: “There never was a time when there was greater need for the exercise of mercy than today. The poor are all around us, the distressed, the afflicted, the sorrowing, and those who are ready to perish.

“Those who have acquired riches have acquired them through the exercise of the talents that were given them of God, but these talents for the acquiring of property were given to them that they might relieve those who are in poverty. These gifts were bestowed upon men by Him who maketh His sun to shine and His rain to fall upon the just and the unjust, that by the fruitfulness of the earth men might have abundant supplies for all their need.” Welfare Ministry, 15.

2 OUR DUTY TO THE WORLD

  • Since, according to I John 5:19, the whole world is under the control of the power of darkness, what misery exists even in so-called Christian countries?

Note: “While God in His providence has laden the earth with His bounties and filled its storehouses with the comforts of life, want and misery are on every hand. A liberal Providence has placed in the hands of His human agents an abundance to supply the necessities of all, but the stewards of God are unfaithful. In the professed Christian world there is enough expended in extravagant display to supply the wants of all the hungry and to clothe the naked. Many who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ are spending His money for selfish pleasure, for the gratification of appetite, for strong drink and rich dainties, for extravagant houses and furniture and dress, while to suffering human beings they give scarcely a look of pity or a word of sympathy.

“What misery exists in the very heart of our so-called Christian countries! Think of the condition of the poor in our large cities. In these cities there are multitudes of human beings who do not receive as much care and consideration as are given to the brutes. There are thousands of wretched children, ragged and half starved, with vice and depravity written on their faces.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 274, 275.

  • What blessings does God want us to impart to the world besides the knowledge of the way of salvation? Isaiah 58:7; James 1:27.

Note: “Some think that if they give money to this work, it is all they are required to do; but this is an error. Donations of money cannot take the place of personal ministry. It is right to give our means, and many more should do this; but according to their strength and opportunities, personal service is required of all.

“The work of gathering in the needy, the oppressed, the suffering, the destitute, is the very work which every church that believes the truth for this time should long since have been doing.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 275, 276.

“Heavenly angels are waiting for human beings to cooperate with them in the practical carrying out of the principles of truth. It is through the agency of our sanitariums and kindred enterprises that much of this work is to be done.” Ibid., vol. 7, 58, 59.

3 “THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF”

  • What kind of self-sacrifice is a genuine representation of the character of Christ? Galatians 6:9, 10; Romans 12:20.

Note: “We are to show the tender sympathy of the Samaritan in supplying physical necessities, feeding the hungry, bringing the poor that are cast out to our homes, gathering from God every day grace and strength that will enable us to reach to the very depths of human misery and help those who cannot possibly help themselves.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 276.

“The lesson [in the story of the good Samaritan] is no less needed in the world today than when it fell from the lips of Jesus. Selfishness and cold formality have well-nigh extinguished the fire of love, and dispelled the graces that should make fragrant the character. Many who profess His name have lost sight of the fact that Christians are to represent Christ. Unless there is practical self-sacrifice for the good of others, in the family circle, in the neighborhood, in the church, and wherever we may be, then whatever our profession, we are not Christians.” The Desire of Ages, 504.

  • How can we best arouse the religious interest of our neighbors? 2 Thessalonians 3:13.

Note: “Every church member should feel it his special duty to labor for those living in his neighborhood. Study how you can best help those who take no interest in religious things. As you visit your friends and neighbors, show an interest in their spiritual as well as in their temporal welfare. Present Christ as a sin-pardoning Saviour. Invite your neighbors to your home, and read with them from the precious Bible and from books that explain its truths. This, united with simple songs and fervent prayers, will touch their hearts. Let church members educate themselves to do this work. This is just as essential as to save the benighted souls in foreign countries. While some feel the burden of souls afar off, let the many who are at home feel the burden of precious souls around them and work just as diligently for their salvation.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 276.

4 A SPECIAL BLESSING TO THE MERCIFUL

  • When Christ shall come in His glory, how many classes of people will there be? What will He say to those on His “right hand”? Matthew 25:34–36.

Note: “Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.

“How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear from the lips of the Saviour, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me’ (Matthew 25:40)! How glad will be the heart of Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise and joy at His words of approval! …

“He [Christ] identifies Himself with every child of humanity. That we might become members of the heavenly family, He became a member of the earthly family. He is the Son of man, and thus a brother to every son and daughter of Adam.” The Desire of Ages, 638.

  • Why should we be merciful to all kinds of sinners? Matthew 25:37–40.

Note: “His [Christ’s] followers are not to feel themselves detached from the perishing world around them. They are a part of the great web of humanity; and Heaven looks upon them as brothers to sinners as well as to saints. The fallen, the erring, and the sinful, Christ’s love embraces; and every deed of kindness done to uplift a fallen soul, every act of mercy, is accepted as done to Him.” The Desire of Ages, 638.

5 LET US BE UNSELFISH WORKERS

  • How does the apostle Paul admonish us to cooperate with the angels of heaven in their ministry for sinners? Hebrews 13:1, 2.

Note: “As you open your door to Christ’s needy and suffering ones, you are welcoming unseen angels. You invite the companionship of heavenly beings. They bring a sacred atmosphere of joy and peace. They come with praises upon their lips, and an answering strain is heard in heaven. Every deed of mercy makes music there. The Father from His throne numbers the unselfish workers among His most precious treasures.” The Desire of Ages, 639.

“Many feel that it would be a great privilege to visit the scenes of Christ’s life on earth, to walk where He trod, to look upon the lake beside which He loved to teach, and the hills and valleys on which His eyes so often rested. But we need not go to Nazareth, to Capernaum, or to Bethany, in order to walk in the steps of Jesus. We shall find His footprints beside the sickbed, in the hovels of poverty, in the crowded alleys of the great city, and in every place where there are human hearts in need of consolation. In doing as Jesus did when on earth, we shall walk in His steps.” Ibid., 640.

“In all who suffer for My name, said Jesus, you are to recognize Me. As you would minister to Me, so you are to minister to them. This is the evidence that you are My disciples.” Ibid., 638.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What duty is implied in the words, “Blessed are the merciful”?

2 Describe the far-reaching scope of true evangelism.

3 What kind of self-sacrifice is a genuine representation of the character of Christ?

4 How can we best arouse the religious interest of our neighbors?

5 When Christ shall come in His glory, what will He say to those on His right hand?

Copyright © 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – A United Work

January 17, 2016 – January 23, 2016

Key Text

“And [Christ appointed different responsibilities and offices] … for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith.” Ephesians 4:11–13.

Study Help: Early Writings, 100.

Introduction

“ ‘The church must flee to God’s Word and become established upon gospel order, which has been overlooked and neglected.’ This is indispensably necessary in order to bring the church into the unity of the faith.” Early Writings, 100.

1 A KEY TO PROGRESS

  • Does Christ call us to labor independently from all others or does He want us to work in unity with those who submit to God? On what condition would the early church go forth from victory to victory? John 17:21–23.

Note: “As they [the disciples of the early church] should continue to labor unitedly, heavenly messengers would go before them, opening the way; hearts would be prepared for the reception of truth. … Nothing could withstand her onward progress.” The Acts of the Apostles, 91.

  • If the disciples failed to labor unitedly as the body of Christ, what would they be able to do? John 15:4, 5.

Note: “The proclamation of the gospel was to be worldwide in its extent, and the messengers of the cross could not hope to fulfill their important mission unless they should remain united in the bonds of Christian unity.” The Acts of the Apostles, 90.

2 CHOOSING MEN AND WOMEN FOR GOD’S SERVICE

  • As the membership of the early church grew, what step was taken in harmony with gospel order? Acts 6:2, 3. Who selected the men to be ordained as deacons? What moral and spiritual qualities were considered as a main requirement?

Note: “[Acts 6:2–4 quoted.]

“The church accordingly selected seven men full of faith and the wisdom of the Spirit of God, to attend to the business pertaining to the cause.” The Story of Redemption, 259, 260.

“[Acts 6:1–7 quoted.]

“The Lord here gives us an example of the care that should be exercised when choosing men for His service.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1056.

  • How was God consulted by the congregation concerning these candidates for ordination? Acts 6:6. How should we follow the example of the early Christians in this regard? Acts 13:1–3.

Note: “Brethren of experience and of sound minds should assemble, and following the word of God and the sanction of the Holy Spirit, should, with fervent prayer, lay hands upon those who have given full proof that they have received their commission of God, and set them apart to devote themselves entirely to His work. This act would show the sanction of the church to their going forth as messengers to carry the most solemn message ever given to men.” Early Writings, 101.

  • How were they able to have a united influence upon the entire flock? I Corinthians 1:10; 2:16.

Note: “The order that was maintained in the early Christian church made it possible for them to move forward solidly as a well-disciplined army clad with the armor of God. The companies of believers, though scattered over a large territory, were all members of one body; all moved in concert and in harmony with one another.” The Acts of the Apostles, 95, 96.

3 QUALIFICATIONS FOR GOOD CHRISTIAN SERVICE

  • What qualifications should prospective soul winners develop under the direction of the Holy Spirit? Matthew 9:38; I Timothy 3:2–7. Why is self-education necessary?

Note: “The work committed to the disciples would require great efficiency; for the tide of evil ran deep and strong against them.” The Acts of the Apostles, 31.

“Those in the service of God must show animation and determination in the work of winning souls.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 418.

“Those who make no decided effort, but simply wait for the Holy Spirit to compel them to action, will perish in darkness.” Christian Service, 228.

  • Genuineness, integrity: 2 Corinthians 6:3; I Peter 3:16.

Note: “Paul carried with him the atmosphere of heaven. All who associated with him felt the influence of his union with Christ. The fact that his own life exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave convincing power to his preaching. Here lies the power of the truth. The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist.” Gospel Workers, 59.

  • Decorum, courtesy, politeness (Christian dignity): Colossians 4:6. Humility: John 3:30.

Note: “The man of God, the minister of Christ, is required to be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. A pompous minister, all dignity, is not needed for this good work. But decorum is necessary in the desk. A minister of the gospel should not be regardless of his attitude.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 648.

“The minister of Christ should possess sobriety, meekness, love, long-suffering, forbearance, pity, and courtesy. He should be circumspect, elevated in thought and conversation, and of blameless deportment. This is gospel dignity.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 568, 569.

4 MORE QUALIFICATIONS FOR GOOD CHRISTIAN SERVICE

  • Tact: 2 Timothy 2:22–26. Honesty, faithfulness: Acts 6:3; I Corinthians 4:2.

Note: “If a man has tact, industry, and enthusiasm, he will make a success in temporal business, and the same qualities, consecrated to the work of God, will prove even doubly efficient; for divine power will be combined with human effort.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 276.

“When responsibilities are to be entrusted to an individual, the question is not asked whether he is eloquent or wealthy, but whether he is honest, faithful, and industrious; for whatever may be his accomplishments, without these qualifications he is utterly unfit for any position of trust.” Ibid., vol. 4, 413.

  • Sober-mindedness (having cautious, moderate ideas, and calm judgment): Titus 1:8; I Peter 1:13; 5:8. Cleanliness, tidiness, orderliness: I Corinthians 14:40.

Note: “Ministers should love order and should discipline themselves, and then they can successfully discipline the church of God and teach them to work harmoniously like a well-drilled company of soldiers. …

“Angels … turn away in grief, for they are not authorized to bless confusion, distraction, and disorganization.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 649.

  • Mental culture, cultured speech, correct language: 2 Timothy 2:15.

Note: “Men have labored with a measure of success who have had little training in school or college; but these might have attained a greater measure of success, and might have been more efficient laborers, if at the very start they had acquired mental discipline.” Gospel Workers, 92.

“Unless we can clothe our ideas in appropriate language, of what avail is our education?” Testimonies, vol. 6, 380.

“The right culture and use of the power of speech has to do with every line of Christian work. … We should accustom ourselves to speak in pleasant tones, to use pure and correct language, and words that are kind and courteous.” Christian Service, 223.

5 COOPERATION

  • What lesson should we learn from farm work before we can expect the Lord to bless our evangelistic efforts? I Corinthians 3:6–9.

Note: “The Lord desires that the cities shall be worked by the united efforts of laborers of different capabilities. All are to look to Jesus for direction, not depending on man for wisdom, lest they be led astray. As laborers together with God they should seek to be in harmony with one another. There should be frequent councils and earnest, wholehearted cooperation. Yet all are to look to Jesus for wisdom, not depending upon men alone for direction.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 109.

  • In the first place, on what does the progress of our evangelistic work depend? Psalm 127:1.

Note: “It is not the power that emanates from men that makes the work successful, it is the power of the heavenly intelligences working with the human agent that brings the work to perfection. A Paul may plant, and an Apollos may water, but it is God that giveth the increase. Man cannot do God’s part of the work. As a human agent he may cooperate with the divine intelligences, and in simplicity and meekness do his best, realizing that God is the great Master Workman. Although the workmen may be buried, the work will not cease, but it will go on to completion.” The Review and Herald, November 14, 1893.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Explain the practical benefits of working unitedly in evangelistic efforts.

2 Name some steps the church must take prior to performing ordinations.

3 What qualities are essential in soul winning?

4 How can we cultivate the essential qualifications for Christian service?

5 What agriculture illustration helps us to understand evangelism?

Copyright © 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – The First Missionary Tour

January 10, 2016 – January 16, 2016

Key Text

“He [Jesus] called His twelve disciples … and … sent them to preach the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:1, 2.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 349–358.

Introduction

“These disciples were to be heralds of the truth, to prepare the way for the coming of the Master. The burden of their message was a repetition of that of John the Baptist and of Christ Himself, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand’ (Mark 1:15).” The Review and Herald, March 23, 1897.

1 A CALL TO REPENTANCE

  • With what message did Christ send His twelve disciples after a period of training? Matthew 10:7.
  • What power did Christ give to them, and what was His admonition afterwards in view of their success? Mark 6:7; Luke 10:20. What benefits are there in sending out evangelists two by two?

Note: “Calling the twelve about Him, Jesus bade them go out two and two through the towns and villages. None were sent forth alone, but brother was associated with brother, friend with friend. Thus they could help and encourage each other, counseling and praying together, each one’s strength supplementing the other’s weakness. In the same manner He afterward sent forth the seventy. It was the Saviour’s purpose that the messengers of the gospel should be associated in this way. In our own time evangelistic work would be far more successful if this example were more closely followed.” The Desire of Ages, 350.

2 HELPING THE NEEDY

  • During His ministry, how did Christ divide His time? Matthew 4:23, 24.

Note: “During His ministry Jesus devoted more time to healing the sick than to preaching. His miracles testified to the truth of His words, that He came not to destroy but to save.” The Desire of Ages, 350.

  • What promise will be fulfilled toward those who, in the Spirit of Christ, help the needy and preach His message? Isaiah 58:8.

Note: “The followers of Christ are to labor as He did. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the suffering and afflicted. We are to minister to the despairing and inspire hope in the hopeless. And to us also the promise will be fulfilled, ‘Thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward’ (Isaiah 58:8). The love of Christ, manifested in unselfish ministry, will be more effective in reforming the evildoer than will the sword or the court of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the lawbreaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this.” The Desire of Ages, 350, 351.

  • Christian missionaries will not be involved today in pseudo-miraculous healings; but what can they do?

Note: “The missionary cannot only relieve physical maladies, but he can lead the sinner to the Great Physician, Who can cleanse the soul from the leprosy of sin. Through His servants, God designs that the sick, the unfortunate, those possessed of evil spirits, shall hear His voice. Through His human agencies He desires to be a Comforter such as the world knows not.” The Desire of Ages, 351.

“Not only should those who believe the truth practice health reform but they should also teach it diligently to others; for it will be an agency through which the truth can be presented to the attention of unbelievers. They will reason that if we have such sound ideas in regard to health and temperance, there must be something in our religious belief that is worth investigation.” Evangelism, 514.

3 EFFECTIVE HOUSE-TO-HOUSE WORK

  • What instruction did Christ give to His disciples in effective house-to-house work? Matthew 10:11–14; Luke 10:5.

Note: “In every place they [the disciples] were to accept the hospitality of those who were worthy, those who would welcome them heartily as if entertaining Christ Himself. They were to enter the dwelling with the beautiful salutation, ‘Peace be to this house’ (Luke 10:5). That home would be blessed by their prayers, their songs of praise, and the opening of the Scriptures in the family circle.” The Desire of Ages, 351, 352.

  • In their first missionary tour, to whom were the disciples to go first? Matthew 10:5, 6. Why?

Note: “If they [the disciples] had now preached the gospel to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, they would have lost their influence with the Jews. By exciting the prejudice of the Pharisees they would have involved themselves in controversy which would have discouraged them at the outset of their labors. Even the apostles were slow to understand that the gospel was to be carried to all nations. Until they themselves could grasp this truth they were not prepared to labor for the Gentiles. If the Jews would receive the gospel, God purposed to make them His messengers to the Gentiles.” The Desire of Ages, 351.

  • When the 70 disciples were to enter people’s homes, how did Jesus counsel them to show gratitude and respect for the hospitality of the householders? Luke 10:7–9. Why?

Note: “[Luke 10:1–3, 8, 9 quoted.] …

“They [the seventy disciples] were not to lose sight of this message, nor to enter into controversy over matters that were unessential, or that would close the door to the important truths Jesus had bid them teach.” This Day With God, 113.

4 SHEEP IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES

  • What is the meaning of Christ’s warning in Matthew 10:16?

Note: “The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under provocation, self rise up, and they pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew or the still showers that refresh the withering plants. This is what Satan wants them to do; for these are his methods. … But God’s servants are to be representatives of Him. He desires them to deal only in the currency of heaven, the truth that bears His own image and superscription. The power by which they are to overcome evil is the power of Christ. The glory of Christ is their strength. They are to fix their eyes upon His loveliness. Then they can present the gospel with divine tact and gentleness. And the spirit that is kept gentle under provocation will speak more effectively in favor of the truth than will any argument, however forcible.

“Those who are brought in controversy with the enemies of truth have to meet, not only men, but Satan and his agents. Let them remember the Saviour’s words, ‘Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves’ (Luke 10:3). Let them rest in the love of God, and the spirit will be kept calm, even under personal abuse. The Lord will clothe them with a divine panoply. His Holy Spirit will influence the mind and heart, so that their voices shall not catch the notes of the baying of the wolves.” The Desire of Ages, 353.

“Those who are under the influence of the Spirit of God will not be fanatical, but calm and steadfast, free from extravagance in thought, word, or deed. Amid the confusion of delusive doctrines, the Spirit of God will be a guide and a shield to those who have not resisted the evidences of truth, silencing every other voice but that which comes from Him Who is the truth.” Gospel Workers, 289.

  • What did Christ mean when, continuing His instructions to His disciples, He said, “Beware of men”? Matthew 10:17.

Note: “They [the disciples] were not to put implicit confidence in those who knew not God, and open to them their counsels; for this would give Satan’s agents an advantage.” The Desire of Ages, 354.

5 CONFESSING CHRIST

  • Continuing His instruction, how did Christ stress the importance of confessing Him correctly before people? Matthew 10:32, 33.

Note: “You are to be My witnesses upon earth, channels through which My grace can flow for the healing of the world. So I will be your representative in heaven. The Father beholds not your faulty character, but He sees you as clothed in My perfection. I am the medium through which Heaven’s blessings shall come to you. And everyone who confesses Me by sharing My sacrifice for the lost shall be confessed as a sharer in the glory and joy of the redeemed.

“He who would confess Christ must have Christ abiding in him. He cannot communicate that which he has not received. The disciples might speak fluently on doctrines, they might repeat the words of Christ Himself; but unless they possessed Christlike meekness and love, they were not confessing Him. A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them.” The Desire of Ages, 357.

  • What assurance may all who confess Christ faithfully claim? Revelation 3:5.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Explain the mission entrusted to the 70 disciples.

2 What can Christians do for the sick today?

3 Name some key elements in effective house-to-house evangelism.

4 How are we to understand the phrase “sheep in the midst of wolves”?

5 What are some ways by which we represent Christ correctly or incorrectly?

Copyright © 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Question & answer – Who are the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3, 4?

The two witnesses refer to the Old and New Testaments—the Bible.

“Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: ‘These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.’ ‘Thy word,’ said the psalmist, ‘is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path’ (Revelation 11:4; Psalm 119:105). The two witnesses represent the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Both are important testimonies to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. Both are witnesses also to the plan of salvation. The types, sacrifices, and prophecies of the Old Testament point forward to a Saviour to come. The Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament tell of a Saviour Who has come in the exact manner foretold by type and prophecy.

“ ‘They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days, clothed in sackcloth’ (Revelation 11:3). During the greater part of this period, God’s witnesses remained in a state of obscurity. The papal power sought to hide from the people the word of truth, and set before them false witnesses to contradict its testimony. When the Bible was proscribed by religious and secular authority; when its testimony was perverted, and every effort made that men and demons could invent to turn the minds of the people from it; when those who dared proclaim its sacred truths were hunted, betrayed, tortured, buried in dungeon cells, martyred for their faith, or compelled to flee to mountain fastnesses, and to dens and caves of the earth—then the faithful witnesses prophesied in sackcloth. Yet they continued their testimony throughout the entire period of 1260 years. In the darkest times there were faithful men who loved God’s word and were jealous for His honor. To these loyal servants were given wisdom, power, and authority to declare His truth during the whole of this time.” The Great Controversy, 267, 268.

“According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before the year 1798 some power of Satanic origin and character would rise to make war upon the Bible. And in the land where the testimony of God’s two witnesses should thus be silenced, there would be manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh, and the licentiousness of Sodom.” Ibid., 269.