Pathway to Paradise Ministries - DEEPER Bible Study Notes

Living by the Word of God (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 13)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 03:00:10 -0500

This study guide contains additional materials to accompany the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for the second quarter of 2020, titled How to Interpret Scripture. This Deeper Daily Bible Study develops the broad theme of studying and interpreting the Bible into some areas not covered by the Sabbath School Study Guide. While the general topic of each week’s set of lessons corresponds to the Study Guide topic for that week, the daily focus will vary at times from that guide. We hope that you will find this approach to be a valuable added resource in your Bible study.

The “Digging Deeper” section probes into the day’s topic, and illustrates the study principle or tool being discussed. Suggested answers, if included, are provided in parentheses. Sabbath School teachers will find this section especially helpful in the Sabbath School setting. The “Apply It” section gives the student an opportunity to apply the subject at hand to their own study of the Bible, and the “Share It” section provides an opportunity for those in group studies to discuss and share their response to the day’s theme.

Sabbath (June 20, 2020): Living By the Word of God

God has always called people to live by faith in His Word. This call has sounded especially clear in times of crisis, and it will continue to become more and more relevant as Christ’s second coming approaches. In this week’s set of lessons we will explore what it means to live by the Word of God.

Digging Deeper

Read Matthew 4:4. In what way was Christ’s statement true in the Garden of Eden? (Adam and Eve could have lived forever if they had followed God’s words of warning regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.) In what way this statement true for ancient Israel? (Their nation—and God’s purpose for it—would have endured forever if they had followed God’s purpose and plan for them.) In what way was this statement true for Christ? (His mission, as explained in the Word of God, was to live a sinless life, die, and then be resurrected. Had Jesus not lived by the Word of God, the plan of salvation, and our hope of eternal life, would have been ruined.)
Read Matthew 6:31-33. What worldly principle of motive and action does Jesus warn against in this passage? (Focusing our lives on our material needs and wants.) Whom does Jesus say we will be living like if we remain unduly focused on these things? (The Gentiles, or, as some versions put it, pagans.) In verse 33, what challenge does Christ give to those who would follow Him? (The challenge is to focus first on God’s kingdom and His righteousness. These are realities that must be seen and experienced through the Bible.)

Apply It

Read the following passages and discuss what they reveal about how God’s faithful people will be living at the end of time:

Revelation 12:17 and 14:12 (They will be living lives of faith in accordance with the Word of God.)
Revelation 13:13-15. (They will be living lives opposite from the rest of the world, which will be basing their decisions about reality on the physical phenomena taking place around them.)

Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief. {GC 625.3}

Share It

In what ways have you experienced God leading you to trust in His Word more completely? How has this experience impacted your relationship with God, and with others?

Sunday (June 21, 2020): The Living Word of God and the Holy Spirit

In today’s lesson we will look at the connection between the living Word of God and the Holy Spirit. This connection was powerfully illustrated in Christ’s life, and the Bible promises that we can experience the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives too.

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 4:1,18. What was the secret of power in Christ’s life? (He was filled with the Holy Spirit.) To what extent was Christ filled with the Holy Spirit? (He was “full” of the Holy Ghost.) What practical impact in His interactions with other people did this infilling of the Holy Spirit have? (His entire life, and everything He did, was for the benefit and blessing of other people.)
Read Ezekiel 36:25-27. What promise does God give to us regarding the Holy Spirit? (He wants to put His Spirit within us as well.) What must we be willing to forsake in order to experience this filling? (We must give up our “filthiness” and “idols.”) What might these things look like in our lives today? (Answers will vary.) What will the result of this filling be in our lives? (We will live in accordance with God’s Word.)
Read Hosea 6:1-3; 10:12. These passages point forward to the “latter rain” of the Holy Spirit, when God will fill His people with an extra measure of the Spirit at the end of time. Given what we have discovered about a Spirit-filled life in the previous passages, what practical impact will the “latter rain” make in the lives of God’s people, in their own lives and in their interactions with others? (They will be living lives that point people powerfully and clearly to Jesus Christ.)

Apply It

Read the following passages and discuss our need of the Holy Spirit in our lives:

As the dew and the rain are given first to cause the seed to germinate, and then to ripen the harvest, so the Holy Spirit is given to carry forward, from one stage to another, the process of spiritual growth. The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ. {LDE 183.2}

The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 506 (1897). {LDE 183.3}

The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was “the former rain,” and glorious was the result. But the latter rain will be more abundant.—Testimonies for the Church 8:21 (1904). {LDE 185.5}

The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was “the former rain,” and glorious was the result. But the latter rain will be more abundant.—Testimonies for the Church 8:21 (1904). {LDE 185.5}

Share It

Are you praying every day for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit will prepare you to receive the outpouring of the Latter Rain?

Monday (June 22, 2020): Learning From Jesus

Ephesians 5 uses the illustration of marriage to describe Christ’s relationship with the church: “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30). Just as a man and a woman become “one flesh” in marriage, Christ promises that He will become united with His church. And just as a married man and woman share life together and experience the same things, the same thing will be true for a Christian following Jesus Christ—they will follow Him wherever He goes. As Ellen White wrote in The Great Controversy, “The precious Saviour will send help just when we need it. The way to heaven is consecrated by His footprints. Every thorn that wounds our feet has wounded His. Every cross that we are called to bear He has borne before us” (p. 633, emphasis added).

The ideas in this lesson are explored more fully in the study guide series “Living in the Final Week,” available at www.PathwayToParadise.org.

Digging Deeper

Read John 12:24,28,31,42-43,48-50. What kinds of things did Jesus talk about just before His death? (He talked about the gospel, giving glory to God, judgment, the things that can keep us from serving God, and the importance of living by the Word of God.)
Read Revelation 14:6-12. What similarities does you see between Christ’s message in John 12:24-50, and the Three Angels’ Messages? (They are very similar. In fact, they constitute essentially the same message. Our message today is the same message that Christ gave when He lived on earth.)
Read John 15:3. What result did Christ’s words have on His disciples? (He said that they had been cleansed through His words.)
Read John 17:14-17. What effect will acceptance of, and adherence to, God’s Word have in our lives? (We will become separated and distinct from the world, just as Christ’s disciples were.)

Apply It

Read the following passages and discuss what practical impact God’s Word will have in the lives of His people today and at the end of time:

1 John 4:17 (They will be living like Christ lived.)
Revelation 7:1-3 and 14:1-5 (They will follow Jesus wherever He goes.)

Share It

What does it mean to you that Jesus has already experienced everything that He asks you to go through for Him?

Tuesday (June 23, 2020): Jesus Versus Scripture?

Christ’s life was a fulfillment of Scripture, as Jesus made clear in Matthew 5:17: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Rather than placing Himself above Scripture, Jesus presented Himself as One Who lived to fulfill it. Within our own sphere, we as Christians are called to do the same thing today. In a special way, God’s church at the end of time will accomplish many of God’s purposes as explained and prophesied in Scripture. In today’s lesson we will look at just one parallel between God’s purpose for the church and His work during creation week.

This study is taken from the book Divided We Stand by Tim Rumsey, available digitally and in print at www.PathwayToParadise.org.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 2:7. How did God create Adam? (He formed him out of the dust of the ground, and then breathed into him the Spirit of life.)
Read Genesis 2:21-25. What did God do at the end of the sixth day of creation? (He performed the first marriage ceremony as the man and woman were united together.)

Apply It

God’s work on the sixth day of creation contains important lessons for what He is trying to do among His people today. Read the following verses and discuss the questions that follow:

Genesis 3:14 and Psalm 119:25. What might dust represent spiritually? (It can represent sin.) What spiritual significance might be attached to God’s dividing Adam from the dust of the ground? (Adam’s separation from the dust of the ground might be seen as a symbol of God’s separation of His people from sin.)
Ephesians 5:25-27. What promise does this passage give regarding the spiritual condition of God’s people at Christ’s second coming? (The Bible says that God will have a purified church.)
Jude 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; and 1 John 4:17. What do each of these promises mean to you regarding what God wants to do among His people today?

Wednesday (June 24, 2020): Quiet Times With the Word of God

The Bible repeatedly encourages us to slow down the pace of our lives and spend time with God. Psalm 46:10, for example, says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s best if we choose to take that time voluntarily. Sometimes, however, God allows situations to develop where that quiet time is forced upon us. In today’s lesson we will look at one such episode from Bible history.

Digging Deeper

Read Exodus 10:21-23. What was the ninth plague on Egypt? (Three days of darkness.) What do you think the “darkness which may be felt” meant? (Answers will vary.) What do you think the Egyptians did for the three days while they sat in darkness? (Answers will vary.)
Read the following statement from Patriarchs and Prophets, then discuss what God’s purposes appeared to be in sending the three days of darkness:

Suddenly a darkness settled upon the land, so thick and black that it seemed a “darkness which may be felt.” Not only were the people deprived of light, but the atmosphere was very oppressive, so that breathing was difficult. “They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” The sun and moon were objects of worship to the Egyptians; in this mysterious darkness the people and their gods alike were smitten by the power that had undertaken the cause of the bondmen. [See Appendix, note 2.] Yet fearful as it was, this judgment is an evidence of God’s compassion and His unwillingness to destroy. He would give the people time for reflection and repentance before bringing upon them the last and most terrible of the plagues. {PP 272.1}

Read Exodus 11:4-6. What great disaster was soon to come upon Egypt? (Death of the firstborns.) For what reasons, then, might God have brought the three days of darkness upon the land, just prior to the last plague? (Answers will vary. He wanted to give the Egyptians and Pharaoh time to repent of their sins and seek Him.)

Apply It

Daniel 12:1 predicts a great time of trouble in earth’s future. Writing about this time, Ellen Write said:

We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. {9T 11.1}

The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones. {9T 11.2}

Considering what inspiration says is coming in earth’s near future, how important is our quiet time with God today?

Share It

What is your greatest challenge in safeguarding quiet time with God each day? What secrets have you discovered that have helped you maintain this time to connect with God?

Thursday (June 25, 2020): Memory and Song

Memorizing Scripture is an essential aspect of Christian development. As Deuteronomy 6:6-8 and 11:18 point out, storing God’s Word in our hearts changes the way we think, talk, and act. This experience is one that should be shared and taught by Christian parents, teachers, and other adults, so that our children may grow with God’s Word in their minds and hearts. In today’s lesson we will look more closely at the importance of memorizing the Bible.

Digging Deeper

The Bible gives many reasons that we should memorize Scripture. Read the following verses and discuss the reason(s) given in each:

1 Peter 3:15-16 (so that we can share our faith and hope with others)
Colossians 3:16 (so that we can encourage others and praise God)
Psalm 119:11 (so that we can more effectively resist temptation)
Amos 8:11 (the time may come when we are deprived of our Bibles)

Apply It

There are many effective ways to memorize the Bible. Here is a short list of a few techniques that have helped many people:

Write it out
Memorize while walking or exercising
Listen while driving in the car
Sing the verses
Use a Bible memorization box

Share It

What techniques have helped you memorize Scripture?

Friday (June 26, 2020): The Privilege of Prayer

Prayer is one of the most important ways that we have to respond to God’s Word. In today’s lesson we will look at five Biblical keys to experiencing the blessing of prayer.

Digging Deeper

Read Isaiah 44:3 and Matthew 5:6. Why is it so important to feel our need of God’s help in our lives? Why does God wait to work in our lives until we feel our need of Him? Does He always wait for this, or does He sometimes work in our lives before we ask?
Read Psalm 66:18 and Isaiah 59:1,2. For what reasons does unconfessed sin create such a barrier between us and God? What so often makes it difficult to confess our sins to God, or, if appropriate, to others?
Read Mark 11:24. Why does God ask us to exercise faith when we pray? What impact do you think God wants this to have on us?
Read Matthew 6:12 and 18:21. Why is a spirit of forgiveness toward others so important in our relationship with God? What should be the quality and extent of our forgiveness toward others?
Read John 14:13. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’s name? For what reasons does God ask us to pray in Jesus’s name?

Share It

What experiences have you had, or observed, that required persevering prayer? What blessings resulted from this perseverance?

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Dealing With Difficult Passages (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 12)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 13 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (June 13, 2020): Dealing With Difficult Passages

Sometimes the Bible is hard to understand. Referring to Paul’s writings, the apostle Peter wrote, “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). In this week’s lesson we will look at Biblical principles for dealing with Scripture’s difficult passages.

Digging Deeper

Read Matthew 7:24,25. What promise did Jesus give regarding the trustworthiness of placing our faith in the Bible? (Doing this is like building a house on a rock.) Within the context of this week’s study, what might the “rain” and “floods” and “winds” represent in verse 25? (Doubts, suggestions, and questions regarding the authenticity and trustworthiness of the Bible.) What makes the difference in Jesus’ parable between the person who builds on a rock and the one who builds on sand? (The person who builds on the rock not only hears, but does, the word of God.)

Some look to us gravely and say, “Don’t you think there might have been some mistake in the copyist or in the translators?” This is all probable, and the mind that is so narrow that it will hesitate and stumble over this possibility or probability would be just as ready to stumble over the mysteries of the Inspired Word, because their feeble minds cannot see through the purposes of God. Yes, they would just as easily stumble over plain facts that the common mind will accept, and discern the Divine, and to which God’s utterance is plain and beautiful, full of marrow and fatness. All the mistakes will not cause trouble to one soul, or cause any feet to stumble, that would not manufacture difficulties from the plainest revealed truth. {1SM 16.2}

Read the statement below from Ellen White, written in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1888. Discuss how her advice compares to Christ’s statement in Matthew 7:24.

Brethren, cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost. The ingenuity of men has been exercised for ages to measure the Word of God by their finite minds and limited comprehension. If the Lord, the Author of the Living oracles, would throw back the curtain and reveal His wisdom and His glory before them, they would shrink into nothingness and exclaim as did Isaiah, ‘I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips’ (Isa. 6:5). [Ms 16, 1888; (1SM 15-18).] (Written at Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the autumn of 1888.)

Share It

What do you find most confusing about the Bible right now? How are you looking for answers to this question?

Sunday (June 14, 2020): Possible Reasons for Apparent Contradictions

Given the size of the Bible, the passages with apparent contradictions are surprisingly few in number. While genuine questions can and do arise for even the most dedicated Christian and Bible student, many of the Bible’s apparent contradictions arise for reasons that have more to do with us than with the Bible. In today’s lesson we will look at a few of the things that can cause us to stumble in our reading and understanding of God’s Word.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and discuss what problem each one addresses that can lead to misunderstandings of the Bible:

Genesis 3:6 (Trusting to our own opinions and wisdom)

Spiritual darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people. There are in many churches skepticism and infidelity in the interpretation of the Scriptures. Many, very many, are questioning the verity and truth of the Scriptures. Human reasoning and the imaginings of the human heart are undermining the inspiration of the Word of God, and that which should be received as granted, is surrounded with a cloud of mysticism. Nothing stands out in clear and distinct lines, upon rock bottom. This is one of the marked signs of the last days. {1SM 15.2}

John 7:17 (Refusal to obey what we do understand)

History shows that the problematic passages are not Christianity’s most pressing problem. Instead, it is the failure of believers to accept the passages that are clearly understood. [Frank Hasel and Michael Hasel. How to Interpret Scripture (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Publishing Association), p. 115.]

1 Corinthians 2:14 (Lack of true conversion)

Those who work indifferently and half-heartedly will never succeed. Young and old should read the Word of God; and not only should they read it, but they should study it with diligent earnestness, praying, believing, and searching. Thus they will find the hidden treasure; for the Lord will quicken their understanding. {MYP 259.4}

Share It

What things in the Bible used to be difficult for you to understand, that are now not so confusing? What has made the difference?

Monday (June 15, 2020): Dealing With Difficulties

In today’s lesson we will look at several Biblical principles for dealing with confusing or troubling Bible passages. To begin with, however, here is an insightful statement from the church father Augustine of Hippo:

If we are perplexed by an apparent contradiction in Scripture, it is not allowable to say, The author of this book is mistaken; but either the manuscript is faulty, or the translation is wrong, or you have not understood. [Augustine of Hippo, “Reply to Faustus the Manichaean" 11.5, in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, ed. Philip Schaff, vol. 4, St. Augustin: The Writings Against eh Manichaean, and Against the Donatists (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature, 1887), 180.]

Digging Deeper

Read the following Bible passages and discuss how each one might apply to dealing with difficult passages:

Psalm 19:12,13. (We are all prone to error, and also to extremes of opinion and belief. The first step in dealing with difficult passages is to ask God to reveal our own biases and weaknesses.)
Isaiah 8:20. (While there is, of course, much we can learn about the world from a variety of sources and authors, when it comes to spiritual matters, we must choose our influences and teachers very carefully. Any author or teacher that does not teach the full truth of God’s Word will eventually cause us to stumble in our understanding of Scripture.)
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. (Bible verses must be read and interpreted in context. Failure to do this will almost certainly result in a misunderstanding of Scripture.)
John 9:24,25. (When faced with a difficult passage, start with truths and passages that are simple and clear.)

Share It

What strategies have you found particularly helpful in dealing with difficult Bible passages?

Tuesday (June 16, 2020): How to Determine if a Doctrine is Biblical, Part 1

God’s character is reflected in the teachings of His Word. As Ellen White made clear, the Bible and its doctrines are really an expression of the character of its Author:

This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape—a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the way to heaven. {1SM 15.3}

In the next three lessons we will look at the connection between Bible doctrines and the character of God, and discover some useful keys for determining if a doctrine is Biblical or not.

The material in these three lessons is summarized in a free PDF titled “How to Determine if a Doctrine is Biblical” and is available at www.PathwayToParadise.org/pages/downloads.

Digging Deeper

Read the following Bible passages and discuss what each one reveals about the nature of God and His character:

2 Chronicles 20:6 and Matthew 28:1 (God is King of the universe and has all authority)
John 1:1,14 and Colossians 2:8,9 (Jesus Christ is God in the flesh)
Matthew 3:13-17 and 1 John 5:7 (God testifies of Himself)

Apply It

The numbers below correspond to the numbers in the Digging Deeper section above. Read the verses below and discuss how each passage reveals a Scriptural test for doctrines that is related to God’s character:

Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 4:4; John 12:44-50; Acts 17:11 (The test of Scriptural authority: Is Scripture used to support the doctrine? If not, reject it.)
1 John 4:2,3; 1 Corinthians 12:3; John 5:39 (The test of confession: Does the doctrine deny Jesus Christ as the Son of God in the flesh? If so, reject it.)
Matthew 18:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 14:29; Isaiah 28:9,10 (The test of multiple witnesses: Is the doctrine supportable from the writings of at least two Bible authors? If not, reject it.)

Wednesday (June 17, 2020): How to Determine if a Doctrine is Biblical, Part 2

This lesson continues the comparison between the character of God and Bible doctrines.

Digging Deeper

Read the following Bible passages and discuss what each one reveals about the nature of God and His character:

Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 John 5:7 (God is One)
Malachi 3:6; James 1:17 (God never changes)
Exodus 34:4-7; Romans 2:5-11 (God is merciful and just)

Apply It

2 Timothy 3:16,17; 1 Corinthians 14:32; Matthew 4:4 (The test of internal unity: Do some passages of Scripture contradict the doctrine? If so, reject it.)
Psalm 33:11; 119:89; Matthew 5:17-19; Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18,19 (The test of immutability: Must Scripture be changed or abolished in order to support the doctrine? If so, reject it.)
Matthew 23:23,24; Luke 11:42; James 2:17,24; John 7:17 (The test of balance: Does the doctrine minimize the law, judgment, mercy, faith, or the love of God? If so, reject it.)

Thursday (June 18, 2020): How to Determine if a Doctrine is Biblical, Part 3

This lesson continues the comparison between the character of God and Bible doctrines.

Digging Deeper

Read the following Bible passages and discuss what each one reveals about the nature of God and His character:

Matthew 26:55; John 18:19-21; Romans 1:18-20 (God speaks clearly)
Exodus 15:11; Revelation 4:8; James 1:17 (God is holy)
Psalm 86:5; 1 John 4:8 (God is love)

Apply It

John 2:19-21; Luke 24:27; Acts 3:18 (The test of clarity: Is the doctrine supported contextually and in the weight of Biblical evidence? If not, reject it.)
Matthew 23:25-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:24 (The test of purity: Does the doctrine minimize the importance of inner cleansing from sin? If so, reject it.)
Galatians 5:22; Matthew 7:16,20 (The test of fruit: Does belief in and practice of the doctrine demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit? If not, reject it.)

Friday (June 19, 2020): What to Do With Doubt

We all have times of doubt, especially when it comes to understanding the deep things and purposes of God. In today’s lesson we will look at some Bible verses that can help us navigate these times of questioning and uncertainty.

Digging Deeper

Read Job 11:7-8 and Romans 11:33. What effect should the fact that God is infinite, and we are not, have on us? In what ways have you been reminded of this lately?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:12. Although some things remain unclear to us in this world, the Bible promises that someday everything will be understood. What does this promise mean to you, and why?
Read Deuteronomy 29:29. For what reasons might God see best to keep some things hidden from us? According to this verse, for what reason does God reveal what He does to us?

Apply It

Read Isaiah 1:18. What does this verse tell you about the kind of relationship God wants with us? What does this reveal about God’s character?
Read Psalm 34:8. What does it mean to “taste and see” that the Lord is good? Does it appear that God wants us to have a blind faith, or a “proven” faith?
Read Proverbs 4:18. What will our experience be with God and the Bible the longer we seek the truth?

Share It

Although God will in some ways always remain mysterious to us, what about Himself has God revealed to you recently? What impact has this had on your life?

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The Bible and Prophecy (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 11)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 6 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (June 6, 2020): The Bible and Prophecy

Bible prophecy, like the rest of Scripture, focuses on Jesus Christ. Many of the Bible’s Old Testament prophecies, of course, point forward to the coming of the Messiah, and Jesus Christ’s birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection provide a striking fulfillment of hundreds of such prophecies. This reality illustrates an important principle—Bible prophecy centers in Jesus Christ. In today’s lesson we will look at Biblical evidence showing that even many apocalyptic prophecies in Revelation center in Jesus Christ.

Digging Deeper

The Bible uses marriage to illustrate the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25-27). “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones,” writes Paul in Ephesians 5:30. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh” (verse 31, emphasis added). Just as a husband and wife choose to walk through life together, Christ and His people make the same decision. And just as a married couple shares the experiences of life, so do Christ and His church. Christ’s experiences on earth were in fact prophecies of what His body, the church, would pass through in the centuries after His return to heaven.

Read the passages below and discuss the similarities they bring out between what the Head, Jesus Christ, experiences, and what His body, the church, goes through:

Matthew 3:16,17 and Acts 2:1-4 (both receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit)
Luke 4:1 and Revelation 12:6 (both are led into the wilderness)
Mark 1:13 and Revelation 12:13-15 (both are surrounded by wild beasts and protected by God)
Revelation 12:6,14 (The woman stays in the wilderness for 3.5 prophetic years, and Jesus Christ’s public ministry lasted 3.5 literal years)
Luke 22:70,71 and Revelation 12:17 (both are condemned for the testimony of Jesus Christ)

Share It

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ is leading His church through the same experiences that He went through?

See the study guide set titled Living in the Final Week for a more in-depth study of this subject. Available at www.PathwayToParadise.org.

Sunday (June 7, 2020): Historicism and Prophecy

Historicism—recognizing the fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecy from the time of the prophet to the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth—is central to a correct understanding of “the end” and the events that lead up to it. This method of prophetic interpretation is important for a number of reasons:

It flows naturally from the sequence of world empires repeatedly laid out in Daniel’s prophecies.
The large time spans contained in these prophecies best fit into a historicist framework.
Both Jesus and Paul interpreted Daniel’s prophecies as applying to successive specific events occurring before Christ’s second coming (Matt. 24:15-20, Luke 21:20-22; 2 Thess. 2:1-12).
Early Christians and the Reformers used the historicist approach.
The historicist approach views God as interested in all of human history.
The historicist approach asserts that the Bible has always had a message for people in every age.

Digging Deeper

Read Daniel 7:26; 8:17,19; 11:27,35,40; 12:4,9,13. On what period of time are all of these verses focused? (The “end.”) For what reasons do you think God repeats this phrase so many times throughout the book? (Answers will vary. Clearly, He wants us to recognize the importance of this book for our lives today. Also, He wanted to assure Daniel, and us as well, that He is ultimately in control of our salvation and what is happening in this world.)
Read John 5:17. In the NLT this verse reads, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” What does this verse suggest about the legitimacy of historicism, the interpreting of apocalyptic prophecies as extending from the time of the prophet to the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth? (Just as God is always working for our salvation, the Bible’s lines of apocalyptic prophecy reveal that God is involved with and aware of human history through all of time. The Bible’s message is given to, and applies to, all people at all times, not just to a few people at the very end of time, as futurism would suggest.)
Read Isaiah 46:9,10. While this passage certainly is not a proof text for the validity of historicism, what general principle(s) does it reveal about how God interacts with human history? (First, one way that God reveals Himself is through His interactions throughout history. Second, God states that one evidence of His divinity is the fact that He can predict events in human history from “the end [to] the beginning.” Historicism matches very well these two aspects of God’s power.)

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For what reasons is it so important that God is not only involved in history, but that He has also revealed the prophetic flow of history? How does this fact help build your confidence in God’s trustworthiness and character?

Monday (June 8, 2020): The Year-Day Principle

The year-day principle of interpreting prophetic time is used frequently in the Bible. The general validity of corresponding years and days can be seen in passages such as Genesis 5:4,8,11; 6:3; 1 Sam. 1:21; and Job 10:5. The Bible’s apocalyptic prophecies in Daniel and Revelation often use a prophetic day to represent a literal year, and God used 40 literal days to represent 40 literal years in Numbers 14:34, and 390 literal years to represent 390 literal days in Ezekiel 4:4-6. It is interesting to note that the day-year principle is employed when God is responding to sin, and that the length of time given in the prophecy reflects the sin or the solution to that sin. For instance:

In Numbers 14:34, Israel was given 40 years to wander in the wilderness as a consequence of rebellion following the spies’ 40 days in Canaan. Forty years was also long enough for that generation of adults to pass away in the wilderness.
In Ezekiel 4:4-6, the prophet was told to lie on his side for 390 days as a symbol of Israel’s iniquity over 390 years.
In Daniel 9:24-27, the Jews were given 70 weeks, or 490 years, to “put away sin” and prepare for the Messiah. While the day-year principle applies in this prophecy, it was given in terms of weeks. The week refers back to God’s complete and perfect work of creation and connects God’s work of creation and redemption.
In Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:14, the little horn/beast power is predicted to rule and persecute the saints for 3.5 prophetic years (1,260 literal years), and then to receive a “deadly wound” (Revelation 13:3). The 3.5 prophetic years of power by this antichrist power corresponds to Christ’s 3.5 literal years of prophetic ministry.
Daniel 8:14 predicts a period of 2,300 days, or years, leading up to the start of the judgment and the purification of the sanctuary. Daniel 8:26 refers to this time period as “the vision of the evening and morning,” and this terminology refers to the morning and evening sacrifices that were to take place continually in the sanctuary and the temple. These sacrifices provided for continual or ongoing atonement for sin, and represent Christ’s unceasing intercession for us in heaven leading up to, and including, the antitypical Day of Atonement (see Hebrews 7:25).

Digging Deeper

Read Galatians 4:4,5. What does this verse reveal about God’s timescale? (Important events in salvation history happen exactly when God knows they need to happen.) What prophetic events are we waiting for right now that we need to trust God to bring about at the right time? (Answers will vary.)
Read 2 Peter 3:8. What does this verse suggest about our need for patience in waiting for God to work? (It’s important!)
Read Genesis 6:3 and Revelation 20:1-4. For what reasons do you think that the Bible’s first and last time prophecies employ literal time, not the day-year principle? (Answers will vary. Perhaps this is because the events at the end of these prophecies—the destruction of the earth with water and with fire—are explained in literal, not symbolic terms, and therefore the time periods are also literal.)

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For what reasons do you think God employs the year-day principle in so many prophecies of Scripture? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just state the actual length of time being referred to in the prophecy?

Tuesday (June 9, 2020): Identifying the Little Horn

The steady tread of ferocious animals in Daniel 7 culminates, ironically, in a “little horn” that emerges late on the fourth beast. Although its physical appearance might cause no alarm, the description of its activities and destructive power set the stage for understanding one of the Bible’s most important lines of prophecy.

Digging Deeper

Read Daniel 7:8. For hundreds of years, Protestants have recognized the little horn as representing the papal system. What clues do you see in this verse that point to the legitimacy of that conclusion? (It is also a political power, as is referenced by its “horn” status. The timing of its emergence after the 10 horns that represent the nations of western Europe follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. It destroys three horns just as the papal power destroyed the Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths between 476 AD and 538 AD. It is led by a man with the “eyes of a man,” and it speaks “great things,” or blasphemies.)
Read Daniel 7:19-20 and Revelation 17:6. These two verses describe the same basic power, though in different phases of its existence. What do you think made both Daniel and John so fascinated with this power? (Answers will vary. Certainly the success of its destructive power against the saints would have raised concerns for both of the prophets.)
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 1 John 2:22, and Revelation 13:1. Bible scholars generally recognize that these various names (man of sin, son of perdition, lawless one, antichrist, and beast) refer to the little horn. For what reason might the Bible refer to this power by so many names? (Jesus Christ also has many names in the Bible, and the antichrist power mimics the genuine in as many ways as possible, including the multitude of names. Each name also reveals an aspect of its character and activity.)

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Why do you think the Bible reveals uncomfortable truths to us? What other difficult truths has God revealed to you through the Bible, and how has this impacted your life?

Wednesday (June 10, 2020): The Investigative Judgment

The Bible predicts a judgment in heaven that takes place after the 1,260-year dominion of the little horn, and shortly before Jesus Christ’s second coming. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at this very important prophetic event.

Digging Deeper

Read Daniel 7:9,10,21-26. What do these verses reveal about the impact of events on earth and what takes place in heaven? (There is a direct connection between what happens on earth and what happens in heaven.) What does this tell you about God’s character? (He is concerned with what happens on earth, and with what happens to people. He is personal and involved in the affairs of earth, and works for the good of those that serve Him. Therefore, He is a God that can be trusted.) What does the fact that “ten thousand times ten thousand” angels stand around God’s throne in the judgment suggest to you? (Heavenly beings are also interested in what takes place on earth. Even more, they are interested in how God is addressing the problem of sin.)
Read Daniel 7:10. Heaven’s judgment involves the opening of “books.” What does this suggest to you? (Answers will vary. God is doing everything possible to demonstrate that His judgment and His response to sin are fair, just, and transparent. Everything is documented so that every intelligent being can be assured of His justice.)
Read Acts 17:31. What does the fact that God’s judgment is “scheduled” to occur at a specific time in earth’s history mean to you? (Just as the prophecies in Daniel reveal that God is in control of the rise and fall of nations, they also reveal that history is moving forward to a grand climax, and God is in charge of this too.) Although we may not understand why God’s timetable often seems so long, what reassurance can we gain by realizing and remembering that He is in control? (Answers will vary.)

Apply It

Read Daniel 7:13,14. The “coming” pictured here is not the second coming, but the approach of Jesus Christ in heaven towards God’s throne. What does this suggest about the importance of what is happening here? (It’s very important!)
Read Luke 19:11-15 and discuss its application to the prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14 and its historical fulfillment beginning in 1844:
- Verse 11. (In this parable, Jesus is going to explain why He won’t immediately set up God’s kingdom on earth when He arrives in Jerusalem. The advent believers were expecting something similar leading up to 1844 as they awaited the second coming and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth.)
- Verse 12. (Here Jesus compares Himself to a nobleman that travels to a far country—heaven—where He will receive a kingdom, and then return. In a similar way, Daniel 7:13-14 reveals that in 1844 [more on this date in the next lesson] Jesus began receiving His kingdom in heaven. When this process is complete, He will return. Daniel 7:14 also reveals that Christ’s kingdom is comprised of people that serve Him.)
- Verse 15. (When Jesus returns at the second coming, He will have already “received” His kingdom of people. That is, final decisions will have already been made and it will be too late at that point to reverse the course of our lives. Today is the day to surrender your life to Christ!)

Thursday (June 11, 2020): Typology as Prophecy

Typology uses an actual person, event, or institution in history that points forward to a greater reality. Examples of typology in the Bible include:

Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness as a type of the Christian journey (1 Corinthians 10:1-11)
The sanctuary and its services as a type of Jesus Christ (John 10:9; 1:29; 4:13,14; 6:35; 8:12)
Uzziah’s and Jeroboam’s rebellions as a type of the mark of the beast (1 Kings 21:25-13:4; 2 Chronicles 26:16-21)

In today’s lesson we will look at several stories in the book of Genesis that contain types of the investigative judgment. This study is developed more fully in the DVD titled Fire From Heaven, available at www.PathwayToParadise.org.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and discuss how each may contain a type of the investigative judgment at the end of time:

Genesis 3:7-13 (God investigates what Adam and Eve have done, before removing them from the Garden of Eden)
Genesis 4:9 (God investigates Cain’s murder of Abel, even though He already knows what has happened)
Genesis 6:5 (God investigates the hearts of men before the flood, and finds them to be “only evil continually”)
Genesis 11:5 (God investigates the rebellious construction of the tower of Babel)
Genesis 18:21 (God investigates the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah)

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Since God knows all things, for what reasons do you think He goes through the process of an investigative judgment? For whom is the judgment really intended?

Friday (June 12, 2020): The Prophetic Pattern, Part 2

In the lesson for Friday, June 5, we looked at the Bible’s prophetic pattern, in which time prophecies end with a confirming prophet announcing the end of, or being used by God at the end of, the prophetic period. We also saw that a judgment consistently takes place at this time, and also that something significant happens with the sanctuary or temple. In today’s lesson we will look at two more examples of this pattern in the Bible—the 1,260 years of Daniel 7:25, and the 2,300 years in Daniel 8:14.

Judgment	Time Prophecy	Confirming Prophet
Flood	120 years (Gen 6:3)	Noah (Genesis 6:13,14)
Plagues on Egypt	400 years (Gen. 15:13)	Moses (Exodus 12:41)
Babylon judged	70 years (Jer. 25:4-10)	Daniel (Dan. 9:1,2)
Messiah’s appearance	483 years (Dan. 9:25,26)	John the Baptist (Mark 1:1-3,15)
Judgment on Israel	490 years (Dan. 9:24)	Stephen (Acts 7:54-56)
Sea beast wounded	1260 years (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 12:6,14; 13:5)	False prophet (Rev. 13:11; 16:13)
God’s final judgment	2,300 years - 1844 (Dan. 8:14)	Ellen G. White (Rev. 12:17)

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The Bible as History (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 10)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 30 May 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (May 30, 2020): The Bible as History

In the last two lessons we studied the importance of the Genesis creation account, arguably the ultimate history lesson given to the human race. This week we will study more of the Bible’s account of salvation history, and the lessons that this history contains for us today.

Digging Deeper

Read Amos 3:7. What does this verse reveal about God’s character? (God is transparent—that is, He reveals His motives, purposes, and plans so that His created beings can praise Him for those works, and so that they can, in their own way, participate in them.) What clue about studying history does this verse give us? (We should look for God’s fingerprints throughout history. If we want to truly understand history, we need to study it from a biblical perspective.)
Read the passage below from the book The Story of Redemption, and discuss how this transparency of God’s character was exercised in heaven even before earth was created?

The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that He might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon His Son. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son He had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was His Son to work in union with Himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out His will and His purposes but would do nothing of Himself alone. The Father’s will would be fulfilled in Him. {SR 13.2}

Apply It

Read Titus 2:13-14. What is the greatest event in earth’s history that still lies in the future? (Christ’s second coming.) What do you find unique in this passage that goes beyond mere history—or prophecy? (Answers will vary. The Bible’s history and prophecy not only teaches what has happened or will happen, but it teaches us how to live.)

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How has God’s “transparency of purpose” helped you trust in Him more? How do we reconcile the times when God’s purposes seem mysterious and difficult to understand?

Sunday (May 31, 2020): David, Solomon, and the Monarchy

King David is one of the Bible’s most influential characters. Additionally, he is used numerous times as a type of the Messiah. In today’s lesson we will look at the significance of this shepherd boy turned king, both historically and prophetically.

Digging Deeper

David, or the name David, is mentioned 1,087 times in the Bible—976 times in the Old Testament and 111 times in the New Testament. Read the following passages about King David, and discuss what each one reveals about his significance historically and prophetically:

2 Samuel 5:6-10 (Without David there would be no capital city of Jerusalem)
1 Kings 8:17-20 (Without David there would be no temple built by his son Solomon)
Jeremiah 23:5,6 (The Messiah would come through the line of David)
Revelation 3:7 (The “key of David” is given to the church of Philadelphia)
Isaiah 55:3 (David is given the everlasting covenant by God)
Acts 13:34,35 (David is promised the resurrection at Christ’s second coming)

Apply It

Read Acts 13:22. What does it mean that David was a man “after God’s own heart”? (The verse gives an answer in the next phrase—He would “fulfill all [God’s] will.”)
Read Acts 13:23. Within this context, in what way was David a precursor, or type, of the Messiah? (The Messiah would also do God’s will—perfectly and continually!)

In the reigns of David and Solomon, Israel reached the height of her greatness. The promise given to Abraham and repeated through Moses was fulfilled: “If ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him; then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. There shall no man be able to stand before you.” Deuteronomy 11:22-25

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In what ways have you seen God working in your life to help you “fulfill all His will”?

Monday (June 1, 2020): Isaiah, Hezekiah, and Sennacherib

Sennacherib and the Assyrians were some of Israel’s most dangerous enemies. After all, it was the Assyrians whom God finally allowed to capture and destroy Samaria, the capital city of Israel’s ten northern tribes. This victory took place in 722 BC by Shalmaneser V. However, when Sennacherib returned to attack Jerusalem 20 years later, things turned out quite differently. We will look at God’s miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem in today’s lesson.

Digging Deeper

Read Isaiah 36:1,2. What threat did Sennacherib and the Assyrians present to Jerusalem? (Total and complete destruction, or loss of national autonomy and identity and submersion into the Assyrian empire.)
Read Isaiah 37:14,15. How does Hezekiah respond to Sennacherib’s threat? (He goes into the temple, spreads the letter before God, and prays.) Why does Hezekiah respond this way, rather than in some other way, such as preparing for war? (In this time of crisis, Hezekiah probably responds by doing what comes most naturally to him—turning to God. It is a great lesson for us. )
Read Isaiah 37:16. What additional insight do we get here about Hezekiah’s faith in God? (He believes that God is the Creator of the world.) Why would believing this be a comfort to Hezekiah now? (The Creator also has power to save him and his people!)
Read Isaiah 37:17. How does Hezekiah address God here? (He address God as “the living God.”) In what ways is this such an important thing for us to remember today? (Answers will vary.)

Apply It

Read Isaiah 37:33-35. What aspects of God’s promise of deliverance speak most powerfully to you in your life, for your family, and for your church? (Answers will vary.)

The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyrian. The honor of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the surrounding nations. In Jerusalem the hearts of the people were filled with holy joy. Their earnest entreaties for deliverance had been mingled with confession of sin and with many tears. In their great need they had trusted wholly in the power of God to save, and He had not failed them. Now the temple courts resounded with songs of solemn praise. {PK 361.4}

Often the Christian life is beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before and bondage or death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, “Go forward.” We should obey this command, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness, and we feel the cold waves about our feet. The obstacles that hinder our progress will never disappear before a halting, doubting spirit. Those who defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty disappears and there remains no risk of failure or defeat, will never obey at all. Unbelief whispers, “Let us wait till the obstructions are removed, and we can see our way clearly;” but faith courageously urges an advance, hoping all things, believing all things. {PP 290.2}

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What seemingly impossible situations have you faced in your life that God has miraculously saved you from, or worked into His glory?

Tuesday (June 2, 2020): Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, and Babylon

Ancient Babylon—including its historical roots in Babel and its prophetic significance in Revelation—plays a large and significant role throughout the Bible’s historical record. From Genesis to Revelation this historical entity represents the antithesis of God’s ideal for humanity, and for His people. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at the historical foundations of this power.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 10:6,8-10. Who founded Babel, and what family line did he come from? (Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, founded Babel.) What significance do you see in the fact that Babel was “the beginning of his kingdom”? (The first use of the word “kingdom” in the Bible is here in this verse. Interestingly, the last time the word “kingdom” appears in the Bible is in reference to spiritual Babylon in Revelation 17:17.)

God had directed men to disperse throughout the earth, to replenish and subdue it; but these Babel builders determined to keep their community united in one body, and to found a monarchy that should eventually embrace the whole earth. Thus their city would become the metropolis of a universal empire; its glory would command the admiration and homage of the world and render the founders illustrious. The magnificent tower, reaching to the heavens, was intended to stand as a monument of the power and wisdom of its builders, perpetuating their fame to the latest generations. {PP 118.5}

Read Genesis 10:11,15-18. What other nations also came from Ham’s line? (The Assyrians and the Canaanites. These were all persecutors and oppressors of God’s people, along with the Babylonians.)

Read the passages below from the book Patriarchs and Prophets and discuss the philosophical and spiritual roots of Babel and the Babylonian kingdom:

The dwellers on the plain of Shinar disbelieved God’s covenant that He would not again bring a flood upon the earth. Many of them denied the existence of God and attributed the Flood to the operation of natural causes. Others believed in a Supreme Being, and that it was He who had destroyed the antediluvian world; and their hearts, like that of Cain, rose up in rebellion against Him (p. 119).

The Babel builders had indulged the spirit of murmuring against God. …Satan was seeking to bring contempt upon the sacrificial offerings that prefigured the death of Christ; and as the minds of the people were darkened by idolatry, he led them to counterfeit these offerings and sacrifice their own children upon the altars of their gods. As men turned away from God, the divine attributes—justice, purity, and love—were supplanted by oppression, violence, and brutality (p. 120).

The men of Babel had determined to establish a government that should be independent of God. … Their confederacy was founded in rebellion; a kingdom established for self-exaltation, but in which God was to have no rule or honor (p. 123).

The schemes of the Babel builders ended in shame and defeat. The monument to their pride became the memorial of their folly. Yet men are continually pursuing the same course—depending upon self, and rejecting God’s law. It is the principle that Satan tried to carry out in heaven; the same that governed Cain in presenting his offering. {PP 123.3}

Apply It

Read Revelation 18:1-4. In what ways do all of us need to “come out of Babylon” in order to more fully walk with God? (Answers will vary.)

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In what ways have you seen God leading you, or your family, away from the principles of Babylon and closer to Him?

Wednesday (June 3, 2020): The Historical Jesus

The cross, in and of itself, does not provide an explanation about the significance of Christ’s death. After all, the Romans crucified thousands of people, and at one time, following the revolt by Spartacus, they lined the Appian Way from Rome to Capua with six thousand crucified people. In today’s lesson we will look at the Bible’s explanation as to the significance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and discuss what they reveal about the historical and prophetic significance of Christ’s death on the cross:

Exodus 12:3,7,13 and John 1:29. (Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God sacrificed for the sins of the world.)
Numbers 24:17 and Matthew 2:1,2. (The Magi’s study of the prophecies that led them to Jesus.)
Psalms 22:1 and 31:5. (Jesus’ statements from the cross.)
Mark 16:9-11 and John 20:11-18. (The testimony of Mary Magdalene.)
Luke 24:13-27. (Christ’s appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.)
John 20:24-29. (Christ’s interaction with His disciples after the resurrection.)
John 21:24. (Hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after the resurrection.)
1 Corinthians 15:3-8. (Paul’s confirmation of recent historical events.)
1 Corinthians 15:12-14. (The certainty and importance of Christ’s resurrection.)

Apply It

Read Revelation 13:8. What does this verse mean by referring to Christ as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”? (Christ’s death and resurrection fulfilled God’s plan of salvation that was put in place from the beginning of time.)
Read the statement below and discuss what Christ’s death and the plan of salvation reveal to you about God’s character:

God and Christ knew from the beginning of the apostasy of Satan and of the fall of Adam through the deceptive power of the apostate. The plan of salvation was designed to redeem the fallen race, to give them another trial. Christ was appointed to the office of Mediator from the creation of God, set up from everlasting to be our substitute and surety. Before the world was made, it was arranged that the divinity of Christ should be enshrouded in humanity. {1SM 250}

Thursday (June 4, 2020): Faith and History

The Bible presents Christianity as a faith based on reality and history. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at some of the reasons it gives for basing our faith on what God has done in the world, and in other people’s lives.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages from Hebrews 11—the “faith chapter”—and discuss how they link God’s work in history with our faith in Him today:

Hebrews 11:3 (creation)
Hebrews 11:4 (Abel’s death and the conflict between good and evil on earth)
Hebrews 11:5,6 (Enoch’s translation as a type of the translation of the living saints at the second coming)
Hebrews 11:7 (the historical reality of Noah’s flood)
Hebrews 11:8-12 (God’s call to Abram and the blessings brought to humanity through his obedience)
Hebrews 11:13-16 (lessons of faith throughout Bible history, teaching us that this world, in its present condition, is not to be considered our home)

Apply It

Read the statements below about faith and discuss the importance of obtaining this experience in our own lives:

The time has come when we are to expect large blessings from the Lord. We must rise to a higher standard on the subject of faith. We have too little faith. The Word of God is our endorsement. We must take it, simply believing every word. With this assurance we may claim large things, and according to our faith it will be unto us.... {TMK 226.2}

The work of faith means more than we think. It means genuine reliance upon the naked word of God. By our actions we are to show that we believe that God will do just as He has said. The wheels of nature and of providence are not appointed to roll backward nor to stand still. We must have an advancing, working faith, a faith that works by love and purifies the soul from every vestige of selfishness. It is not self, but God, that we must depend upon. We must not cherish unbelief. We must have that faith that takes God at His word.... {TMK 226.3}

True faith consists in doing just what God has enjoined, not manufacturing things He has not enjoined. Justice, truth, mercy, are the fruit of faith. We need to walk in the light of God’s law; then good works will be the fruit of our faith, the proceeds of a heart renewed every day. The tree must be made good before the fruit can be good. We must be wholly consecrated to God. Our will must be made right before the fruit can be good. We must have no fitful religion. “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). {TMK 226.4}

O what a field is opened before me! Our people must have the deep working of the Spirit of God every day. They must have a faith that works by love, a faith that emanates from God. There must not be a thread of selfishness drawn into the fabric. When our faith works by love, just such a love as Christ revealed in His life, it will be of a firm texture; it will be the fruit of a will subdued. But not until self dies can Christ live in us. Not until self dies can we possess a faith that works by love and purifies the soul.11 {TMK 226.5}

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In what ways has God led you to grow in faith recently?

Friday (June 5, 2020): The Prophetic Pattern

At the beginning of this week’s set of lessons, we read from Amos 3:7, which states that God does nothing without revealing it to His servants the prophets. In today’s lesson we will look more closely at this pattern of prophecy and fulfillment throughout history.

Judgment	Time Prophecy	Confirming Prophet
Flood	120 years (Gen 6:3)	Noah (Genesis 6:13,14)
Plagues on Egypt	400 years (Gen. 15:13)	Moses (Exodus 12:41)
Babylon judged	70 years (Jer. 25:4-10)	Daniel (Dan. 9:1,2)
Messiah’s appearance	483 years (Dan. 9:25,26)	John the Baptist (Mark 1:1-3,15)
Judgment on Israel	490 years (Dan. 9:24)	Stephen (Acts 7:54-56)
God’s final judgment	2,300 years - 1844 (Dan. 8:14)	Ellen G. White (Rev. 12:17)

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Creation: Genesis as Foundation--Part 2 (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 9)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 23 May 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (May 23, 2020): Christianity and the Scientific Method

The Bible presents Christianity as a logical and “testable” experience that can lead us to reasonable conclusions about God, reality, and ourselves. In this sense, it may be regarded as a “scientific” religion, one that can appeal to logic, reason, and empirical evidence. In today’s lesson we will look at this possibility more closely.

Digging Deeper

Scientists often refer to the “scientific method,” which may be summarized in the following five steps:

Observation: Ask a question
Conjecture: Construct a hypothesis
Testing: Collect evidence or conduct an experiment
Analysis: Compare the evidence or results with the hypothesis
Communication: Share the results of the experiment or study

Science applies the five steps of this process to studying and understanding the natural and physical world. However, the Bible applies these steps spiritually, and reveals that God invites us to an experience with Him that can also be tested, analyzed, and shared.

Read the verses that follow each step below and discuss what they suggest about how we can pursue a “spiritual scientific method.”

Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 14:1
Malachi 3:10
Psalm 34:8; 1 Peter 2:2,3; 2 Peter 1:3,4,16,19
Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 14:1,2
Matthew 5:13-16; 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:20

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In what ways have you found the Bible and Christianity to be tested and reliable in your life?

Sunday (May 24, 2020): A Flat Earth

The Bible contains passages—such as Revelation 7:1 and Revelation 20:7-8—that speak of the “four corners of the earth.” Does this mean that the Bible teaches that the earth is flat? If it does, what would the implications be spiritually? We will take a look at these issues in today’s lesson.

Digging Deeper

Read Revelation 7:1 and 20:7,8. What is the setting and context of these passages? Is this literal or symbolic language? (This is symbolic language and the context is that these are apocalyptic passages containing numerous symbols.)
Read Isaiah 11:12. What is the setting and context of these passages? Is this literal or symbolic language? (The point of this passage is that God will bring back His exiled remnant from all parts of the earth, and from every direction. The context is that of national and spiritual restoration; not a literal explanation of earth’s shape or geography.
Read Job 26:7-10. What does this passage suggest about the nature of the earth? (God has stretched it out and “hung” it in space “upon nothing.” The impression is that of a ball hanging in space.)
Isaiah 40:21,22. What does this passage say about the shape of the earth? (It is a circle.)

Apply It

Read Psalm 103:12. If the earth was literally flat, how would this impact the spiritual meaning of this passage? If the earth is indeed a globe, how does that impact the spiritual meaning of this passage?
Psalm 75:5-6 and 48:2. In which direction do these passages reveal that God’s throne is located? If the earth is flat, how does the positioning of God’s throne “in the north” lose some of its spiritual significance, when compared with the positioning of His throne “upward” in the north?

Monday (May 25, 2020): Creation in Ancient Literature

Kanji is a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters. In today’s lesson we will look at evidence that suggests the creators of Kanji were familiar with the Genesis creation story. Ethel R. Nelson and Richard E. Broadberry find many more examples in the book, God’s Promise to the Chinese.

Digging Deeper

Apply It

Read Acts 14:17; 17:26,27. What do these verses reveal about God’s concern for all people on earth, regardless of when or where they have lived?
Read Romans 1:20. Do you think this is still true today? If someone did not have a Bible or someone to explain the gospel, would it still be possible to be led to God by the things He has created?

Share It

What hidden or unexpected evidences have you seen of God? What has this revealed to you about God’s character? How has it impacted your relationship with God?

Tuesday (May 26, 2020): Genesis Versus Paganism

Although Moses uses the words sun and moon elsewhere in his writings, in Genesis 1 he avoids these terms and replaces them with the phrases “greater light” and “lesser light.” In today’s lesson we will look at his reasons for doing so, and what that reveals about some of the differences between the Genesis creation account and ancient paganism.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 1:14-19. What terms are used to refer to the sun and the moon? (“Greater light” and “lesser light.”) According to this passage, for what purpose did God create the sun and moon? (“For signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years,” “to give light upon the earth,” and to “divide the light from the darkness.” In other words, God created the sun and moon to mark time and facilitate life on earth.)
Read Ezekiel 8:15,16. What great sin are the people committing here in Ezekiel’s vision? (They are worshipping the sun. Sun worship is the earliest form of idolatry, and Moses may have avoided using the names “sun” and “moon” in the creation account in order to direct attention away from them and towards the One that created them.)

“Sun worship was the earliest idolatry.” (Fausset, Bible Dictionary, p. 666; quoted in Vance Farrell, Sunday Is Not the Bible Sabbath (Harvestime Books), p. 13.)

“It is almost impossible to find in the history of the world a form of idolatry that is not connected with sun-worship. And in almost every nation sun-worship has been the principal worship; so that it may fairly be described as the universal worship.” (A.T. Jones, Empires of the Bible, p. 42.)

Read Job 31:26-28. What does Job say about the lure and danger of sun and moon worship? (God will punish this idolatry in the judgment.)

Apply It

The concept of sun worship—worshipping a source of light—really began in the courts of heaven when sin began:

Read Isaiah 14:12-14. What was the name of the rebellious angel in heaven? (Lucifer, which means “light bearer.”)
Read Ezekiel 28:12-14. Did Lucifer shine with his own light? (No. He stood in God’s presence and merely reflected God’s glory. As sin grew in Lucifer’s heart he desired to share in God’s glory and shine with his own light.)
Read 2 Corinthians 11:14. How does the Bible say Lucifer, or Satan, will present himself to fallen men? (As an angel of light. It is interesting to note that many world religions, including those in Roman Catholicism and those in the New Age movement, are expecting the appearance of a supernatural being of dazzling brightness.)

“She appears ‘clothed in sunlight,’ that is, clothed in God,” observed the Pope. “The Virgin Mary is in fact completely surrounded by the light of God and lives in God. … The ‘Immaculate One’ reflects with all of her person the light of the ‘sun,’ which is God.” (National Catholic Register; http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-in-her-sinless-perfection-mary-is-a-great-sign-of-hope/#ixzz2gUjH535y)

“Hammurabi, in the introduction to his laws, states that he received them directly from the Great Sun God, Who to us is the Cosmic Christ.” (Violet Tweedale, The Cosmic Christ, p. 110.)

Compare the following statement from the book The Great Controversy, regarding Satan’s final deception on the world before Jesus Christ returns:

As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is “the great power of God.” Acts 8:10. {GC 624.2}

Wednesday (May 27, 2020): Creation and Time

When God created Adam and Eve, He presented them with a test of loyalty and obedience—the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Their eternal existence depended on their response to the test and temptation that would come to them through that tree. In today’s lesson we will look at the concept of probationary time into which Adam and Eve were placed at creation. In particular, we will look at what God intended Adam and Eve to accomplish with the time given to them, and what that means for us today, as well.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 2:16,17. What was the condition of life that God presented to Adam and Eve? (If they didn’t eat from the forbidden tree, they would live forever.) For what reasons do you think God placed Adam and Eve on probation? (Answers will vary. See the passage below for additional insights into this question.)

God placed man under law, as an indispensable condition of his very existence. He was a subject of the divine government, and there can be no government without law. God might have created man without the power to transgress His law; He might have withheld the hand of Adam from touching the forbidden fruit; but in that case man would have been, not a free moral agent, but a mere automaton. Without freedom of choice, his obedience would not have been voluntary, but forced. There could have been no development of character. Such a course would have been contrary to God’s plan in dealing with the inhabitants of other worlds. It would have been unworthy of man as an intelligent being, and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule. {PP 49.1}

Read Genesis 1:31 and Deuteronomy 32:4. Was Adam created perfect? (Yes.) Was Adam created sinless? (Yes.) Was Adam created without any evil tendencies? (Yes.) Was Adam created righteous? (No. He was created with the ability to form a righteous character. “It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law” [Steps to Christ, 62].)
Read Romans 8:1-4. After the fall, is it possible for fallen men to form a righteous character? (Not on our own, but it is possible through Jesus Christ.)

Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law. We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. {SC 62.2}

Notwithstanding the prevailing iniquity, there was a line of holy men who, elevated and ennobled by communion with God, lived as in the companionship of heaven. They were men of massive intellect, of wonderful attainments. They had a great and holy mission—to develop a character of righteousness, to teach a lesson of godliness, not only to the men of their time, but for future generations. Only a few of the most prominent are mentioned in the Scriptures; but all through the ages God had faithful witnesses, truehearted worshipers. {PP 84, emphasis added}

Man was promised a Redeemer, and was granted a second trial, to see if he would develop a righteous character; but he is left a free moral agent. And in all ages the multitudes have accepted the Cain principle, and have maintained that a partial obedience is all that is necessary. They have claimed a right to the favor of God, while disregarding his positive commands. This is the position of the Christian world today. God has given men a code of laws, and the fourth precept of that code enjoins the observance of the Sabbath as a memorial of creation. There is but one Sabbath of the Lord, and that is the seventh day. Special injunctions have been laid upon men to remember this day to keep it holy; but many show their contempt for the divine authority by keeping, in its place, a day which God has given them as a day of labor. {ST December 23, 1886, par. 10, emphasis added}

Thursday (May 28, 2020): Creation in Scripture

The Bible is full of references to God as Creator. Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament, Bible writers identify God as the Creator of this world, and of life. Review the passages below from the New Testament, and discuss what each one reveals about God’s work of Creation:

Matthew 19:4,5
Mark 10:6-9
Luke 11:50,51
John 1:1-3
Acts 14:15
Romans 1:20
2 Corinthians 4:6
Ephesians 3:9
1 Timothy 2:12-15
James 3:9
1 Peter 3:20
Jude 11,14
Revelation 2:7; 3:14; 22:2,3

Apply It

Read Romans 5:12-21. What references to a literal, historical Adam do you find in these verses? (Over six times Paul refers to Adam and his sin in Eden.) How would the gospel message, and the purpose of Christ’s death and resurrection, be affected if Adam were not a real person created by God at the beginning of time? (In this passage, Christ’s death is explained as reversing the effects and curse of sin brought on by Adam’s sin. Christ’s substitutionary death loses its meaning and significance without the context of Adam’s sin in Eden.)

The inheritance of children is that of sin. Sin has separated them from God. Jesus gave His life that He might unite the broken links to God. As related to the first Adam, men receive from him nothing but guilt and the sentence of death. But Christ steps in and passes over the ground where Adam fell, enduring every test in man’s behalf.... Christ’s perfect example and the grace of God are given him to enable him to train his sons and daughters to be sons and daughters of God. It is by teaching them, line upon line, precept upon precept, how to give the heart and will up to Christ that Satan’s power is broken. {CG 475.3}

In the Bible, God’s physical work of creation is portrayed in Scripture as a model for His continued work of spiritual re-creation. Just as He created the world through His Word (Genesis 1:3, 6, etc.) and His Spirit (Genesis 1:2; 2:7), He creates spiritual life through the same agencies.

Read John 17:17 and Romans 15:16. What two Agencies does God use to sanctify people? (His Word and the Holy Spirit. See also Psalm 119:25 and John 6:63.)

Share It

In what ways have you experienced God’s creative power at work in your life?

Friday (May 29, 2020): Christianity and Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion

Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time and a serious student of the Bible and of prophecy, is remembered today in part for his “three laws of motion.” Briefly stated, these three laws are:

An object at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
The acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables—the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The same God that created these physical laws of motion also created spiritual laws to govern His creatures. In today’s lesson we will take a brief look at these laws of motion from a spiritual perspective, and discover some fascinating parallels and lessons.

Digging Deeper

Inertia. Isaac Newton’s law of inertia contains some interesting insights into the origin of and solution to sin.

Read Ezekiel 28:14,15. Where did God “set” Lucifer? (As a covering cherub around God’s throne.) How long did God intend Lucifer to stay in that position? (Forever.) What was the only thing that was able to move Lucifer out of that position? (Sin. Sin acted on Lucifer as an “unbalanced force.” Sin was “unbalanced” in a spiritual sense because it originated outside of, and operates outside of, God’s creation.)

Satan trembled as he viewed his work. He was alone in meditation upon the past, the present, and his future plans. His mighty frame shook as with a tempest. An angel from heaven was passing. He called him and entreated an interview with Christ. This was granted him. He then related to the Son of God that he repented of his rebellion and wished again the favor of God. He was willing to take the place God had previously assigned him, and be under His wise command. Christ wept at Satan’s woe but told him, as the mind of God, that he could never be received into heaven. Heaven must not be placed in jeopardy. All heaven would be marred should he be received back, for sin and rebellion originated with him. The seeds of rebellion were still within him. He had, in his rebellion, no occasion for his course, and he had hopelessly ruined not only himself but the host of angels also, who would then have been happy in heaven had he remained steadfast. The law of God could condemn but could not pardon. {SR 26.1}

Read Romans 6:23. As fallen, sinful creatures, toward what direction is our “spiritual inertia” taking us? (Death.) Is there anything we can do on our own power to change directions or avoid death? (No.) What is our only hope for salvation? (Some power outside of ourselves to act as an “unbalanced force” and save us from death. This is what God’s grace provides. Compare John 3:16.)

Acceleration. Just as acceleration is dependent on the net force acting on an object and the mass of that object, temptation’s effect on us depends on the force of that temptation and our “spiritual mass” at the time of temptation.

Read Isaiah 51:12 and 1 Peter 1:24. What is man compared to in these passages? (Grass.) Does grass have much mass? (No.) What is the spiritual lesson for us regarding the quality of our own righteousness? (It is worthless and fading, like grass.)
Read Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7,8. What is man compared to in these passages? (A tree.) Do trees have a lot more mass than grass? (Yes.) What makes the difference between men that are like grass and men that are like trees? (Christ’s righteousness accepted into the life provides a righteousness that is solid and has much “spiritual mass.”
Read John 12:32. We can look at this parallel with Newton’s second law of motion in another way. This verse says that God draws all men to Himself. What is the only thing that can prevent us from being drawn to Christ? (Our own “selfish mass” and “self-righteousness.” In this comparison, if the love of God is the net force drawing us to Christ, we should have as little “selfish mass” as possible!)
Read Philippians 2:5-8. What aspect of Christ’s character are we encouraged to emulate? (We should be emptied of self, just as He was.

Interactions. Just like the equal and opposite reactions identified in Newton’s third law of motion, the Bible reveals the plan of salvation—an opposite reaction to the power of sin.

Read Romans 5:12-21. What “equal and opposite reactions” in the spiritual realm do you find in this passage? (Adam plunged humanity into sin; Christ provides salvation from sin. Adam placed all men under death; Christ frees all men from the power of death. Adam doomed all men to condemnation; Christ provided pardon and justification for all men.) Would you say that Christ’s work for us is merely an “equal and opposite reaction” to Adam’s sin, or does it provide more than what was lost? (Answers will vary.)

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Creation: Genesis as Foundation--Part I (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 8)

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Sabbath (May 16, 2020): Genesis as Foundation

The opening chapters of the Bible are critically essential to a Biblical worldview. Just as Jesus drew strength for His mission through a constant realization of His connection with the Father, as Christians we need to understand and believe in the Bible’s opening chapters in order to obtain the faith we need today.

Digging Deeper

Read the Bible passages below and summarize how each one lays a foundation for doctrines and prophecies found later in Scripture:

Genesis 1:1,2; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1,2. (Nature of the Godhead)
Genesis 1:26-28. (Humanity and its relationship to God)
Genesis 2:1-3. (The Sabbath)
Genesis 3. (The origin of evil)
Genesis 3:15. (The plan of salvation)
Genesis 6-9. (The worldwide flood)
Genesis 1:28; 2:2,3,15-17; 9:9-17; 15. (The covenant)
Genesis 10 and 11. (The dispersal of languages and people)
Genesis 5 and 11. (The genealogies and Biblical chronology)
Genesis 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16; John 17:17. (The power of God’s spoken word)
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7. (The nature of humanity)
Genesis 1:27,28; 2:18,21-25. (Marriage between man and woman)
Genesis 1:26; 2:15,19. (Stewardship of the earth and its resources)

Apply It

Read Luke 2:49 and John 6:38,29. Did Jesus Christ know where He came from and what His origin was? (Yes.) What difference did that make in His daily life? (It gave Him purpose, commitment, courage, and faith to accomplish the mission that God had given Him.) If Jesus had begun doubting His origins or His relationship to the Father, what would have happened to the plan of salvation? (It would have been put into great jeopardy, and Jesus would probably have failed in accomplishing our salvation.) What are the lessons for us in our work as Christians? (Answers will vary.)

Sunday (May 17, 2020): “In the Beginning…”

The Bible’s opening words reveal some of the most basic and important information about life and the purpose of life. In today’s lessons we will look at the Bible’s first verse a little more closely.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 1:1. What does this verse reveal about the origins of earth and of life? (All things, including human life, were created at a definite point of time in the past.) God could have begun the Bible in any way, by focusing on any number of important topics. For what reasons do you think He chose to begin the Bible this way? (Answers will vary. God created the Bible, as a written document, specifically for fallen human beings, to explain to us the plan of salvation. For centuries after the fall, no written record was needed, in part because men’s minds and memories worked so much better than they do today. The very fact that we now have a written Bible, and that it begins in the way it does, is strong evidence pointing to the physical and moral decline of the human race, and of sin’s effects upon us.)
Read Isaiah 46:9,10. What do these verses reveal about God in relation to time? (God created time, and therefore stands outside of it. All things, no matter when they happen, are as an open book before Him.)
Read Romans 1:20. What does this verse reveal about God in relation to nature? (God created nature, and while He is partially revealed in nature, nature itself is not divine.)

Those who have a true knowledge of God will not become so infatuated with the laws of matter or the operations of nature as to overlook, or refuse to acknowledge, the continual working of God in nature. Nature is not God, nor was it ever God. The voice of nature testifies of God, but nature is not God. As His created work, it simply bears a testimony to God’s power. Deity is the author of nature. The natural world has, in itself, no power but that which God supplies. There is a personal God, the Father; there is a personal Christ, the Son. And “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3). {1SM 293}

Apply It

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1,2. What do these verses imply about the end of human existence? Will life on earth just continue rolling along from generation to generation, or will there also be a clear and definite end to life as we currently know it on earth? (The verses reveal that time and history are linear, and that not only our own life, but life in general on this earth, is racing toward an end point.) How should this affect how we live? (Answers will vary.)

Share It

How does it bring you reassurance to know that God created all things? If you have not always believed this, how is your view of life now different from what it used to be?

Monday (May 18, 2020): The Days of Creation

The Hebrew word for “day” (yôm) is used consistently throughout the Creation narrative. In today’s lesson we will look at the Biblical evidence that points to these “days” as literal, consecutive, 24-hour units of time.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31. What evidence do you find in these verses that the days of creation week were literal, 24-hour days, as we know them? (They are referenced as sequences of “evening and morning,” just like the daily 24-hour cycle of darkness and light that we know today. In each of these verses, a “day” is defined as “evening and morning,” leaving little room to argue that these “days” were really figurative, metaphorical, or mythological units of time. Indeed, the sequence of seven days in creation week points strongly to a literal, historical intent on the part of the author to explain the origin of life and of the seven-day week.)
Read Exodus 20:8-11. What evidence do you find in these verses that helps reinforce the literal usage of the term “day”? (In verse 8, the Sabbath is referred to as a “day,” not a spiritual or mystical experience, nor a figurative epoch of time. Also, the sequence of working six days and resting the seventh reinforces a literal seven-day weekly cycle. In verse 11, reference is made to God’s creation of the earth in six days, and His resting on the seventh, as a model for the literal seven-day weekly cycle ending with the Sabbath. Again, there is no evidence that the “Sabbath” being referred to here in the fourth commandment is anything other than the seventh 24-hour day originating from creation week.)

Apply It

An interesting pattern emerges when we look at days 1-3 and days 4-6 of creation week:

Day 1—Light
- Day 4—sun, moon, and stars to shine or reflect light
Day 2—Firmament and water above and below
- Day 5—fish to fill the water and birds to fill the air
Day 3—Dry land and vegetation
- Day 6—animals to fill the land and eat the vegetation
Day 7—the Sabbath rest

Notice that on the first three days, God created something that is then filled with other created entities on the second set of three days. Even in the structure of creation week we see a master plan at work! This leaves a question, however: What “fills” the Sabbath rest of the seventh day? (Answers will vary. Perhaps God is saying that this answer is up to us as human beings to determine how we will use this day. He will not force us to observe the seventh-day Sabbath or experience its blessings.)

Share It

What evidence have you seen of God’s “master plan” for your life? How have your glimpses of this plan reaffirmed your faith in God?

Tuesday (May 19, 2020): The Sabbath and Creation

The Sabbath originated at Creation. As Jesus indicated, it was “made for man” (Mark 2:27), and this must include all people that have ever lived. In today’s lesson we will look more closely at the implications of the Sabbath in our relationship with God.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 2:1-3. What three things did God do after He created the Sabbath day? (He “rested,” “blessed,” and “sanctified” it.) Was there inherently anything unique or more special about this seventh set of 24 hours? (No.) What made it special, then? (The Sabbath reveals God’s authority and power as Creator to determine the purpose and the function of His creation. In regards to the Sabbath, it was His blessing alone that made this unit of time sacred and different from the other days.)
Read Exodus 20:11. What reasons are given here in the fourth commandment for seventh-day Sabbath observance? (The same reasons are given as are given in Genesis 2:
- God created the world in six days
- God rested on the seventh day
- God blessed the seventh day
- God “hallowed,” or sanctified, the seventh day)

Apply It

Read the statement below from the book The Great Controversy and discuss the importance of the seventh-day Sabbath in worship:

The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of creation is that it keeps ever present the true reason why worship is due to God”—because He is the Creator, and we are His creatures. “The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and must never be forgotten.”—J. N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath, chapter 27. It was to keep this truth ever before the minds of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial. Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man’s thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God, “Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” It follows that the message which commands men to worship God and keep His commandments will especially call upon them to keep the fourth commandment. {GC 437.2}

Share It

What personal blessings have you experienced from the Sabbath? What ways have you found to be most effective in helping you to “keep it holy”?

Wednesday (May 20, 2020): Creation and Marriage

At the end of creation week, God declared all things He had created “very good” (Genesis 1:31). This “very good” order of things included marriage between a man and a woman. In today’s lesson we will look at God’s original purpose for marriage.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 1:27. In what way(s) can marriage between a man and a woman reflect the image of God? (Answers will vary. Males alone, and females alone, cannot procreate. However, when united in marriage according to God’s plan, a man and a woman can procreate and, in a very limited way, reflect God’s power as Creator.)
Read Genesis 1:26. In this verse God uses a plural pronoun to refer to Himself: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” Just as God’s character of love led to the creation of human beings, love between a man and a woman can in turn lead to the creation of more human beings. What does the fact that God has made it possible for human beings to share in this aspect of Himself say to you about His character? (Answers will vary.)

Apply It

Read the statement below from the book Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings, and then discuss the questions that follow:

Then marriage and the Sabbath had their origin, twin institutions for the glory of God in the benefit of humanity. Then, as the Creator joined the hands of the holy pair in wedlock, saying, A man shall “leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one” (Genesis 2:24), He enunciated the law of marriage for all the children of Adam to the close of time. That which the Eternal Father Himself had pronounced good was the law of highest blessing and development for man. {MB 63.2}

When is the “then” referred to in this statement? (Generally, it is “the blessed days of Eden,” as made clear earlier in the paragraph. More specifically, it is the end of creation week, when God had made all things “very good.”)
What is implied by the phrase “twin institutions”? (Twins are similar creatures born, or brought into existence, at the same time. The Sabbath was first observed at the transition between the sixth and seventh days of creation. This passage, therefore, would seem to imply that Adam and Eve’s marriage took place at the close of the sixth day of creation.)
In what ways does a godly marriage work for “the glory of God”? (Answers will vary.)
What do you think is meant by the last sentence of this statement? (Answers will vary.)

Thursday (May 21, 2020): Creation, the Fall, and the Cross

The Bible’s opening chapters contain a foundational explanation upon which the explanation of the plan of salvation is built. Without these chapters, much of what comes later in the Bible would be unclear or confusing at best, and completely nonsensical at worst. In today’s lesson we will look at just one example of these links—God’s warning to Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:16-17 and Christ’s sufferings and death.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 2:16,17. What warning did God give to Adam and Eve? (Don’t eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.) What would be the penalty for eating from that tree? (Death the same day.)
Read Genesis 3:6 and 5:3-5. Did Adam die the same day he sinned? (No.) How long did he live? (930 years.) Why didn’t Adam die that same day? (Many possible answers exist: God lied to Adam; or God was only bluffing; or God changed His mind about the penalty of sin; or the “day” represents 1,000 years [see 2 Peter 3:8]; or Adam began the process of dying that same day.) Which of these proposed answers seem the most likely? The least likely? (Answers will vary.)
Read Romans 5:8. Who died for us and paid the penalty for our sins? (Jesus Christ. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, there was a Savior Who stepped in front of them and the penalty of their sin. No human being has yet paid the penalty of sin in the second death.)

The world has been committed to Christ, and through Him has come every blessing from God to the fallen race. He was the Redeemer before as after His incarnation. As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. {DA 210}

Apply It

In the verses that follow we will see that Jesus paid the penalty for sin on the same day that He took its guilt upon Himself.

Read Matthew 26:36-38. What did Jesus tell His disciples as He entered the Garden of Gethsemane? (That He was “sorrowful, even unto death.”)
Read Isaiah 53:11,12. Jesus was referring to these verses when He entered Gethsemane. According to these verses, what would happen to the Messiah’s soul when He “was numbered with the transgressors” and took the penalty of sin? (His soul would be “poured out unto death.”)
Read Mark 15:25,33,34. When did Jesus die? (He died on the sixth day at 3:00 p.m.) When did He enter Gethsemane? (He entered Gethsemane on what we call Thursday night, but biblically this is early on the sixth day. Jesus died the second death and paid the penalty of sin on the same day that He accepted its guilt. God’s warning to Adam and Eve in Eden was precisely and literally true, the penalty for sin just wasn’t paid until Jesus died.)

Share It

How does it make you feel to realize that Jesus has truly paid the penalty of sin, so that we don’t have to?

Friday (May 22, 2020): Creation Week and the Principle of Division

Today’s study presents a very condensed summary of the book Divided We Stand by Tim Rumsey. This book shows how creation week may be seen as a parallel with the Protestant Reformation and the Advent Awakening. It is available in print and as an eBook at www.PathwayToParadise.org.

Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-17. What does God call His people to do in this verse? (Divide from the sin in the world.) What promise is given in verse 18? (Those who do allow God to divide them from sin will be united to God.)
Read Revelation 18:4. What is God’s call in this verse? (He is calling for His people to come out of Babylon.) Is this division a good or a bad thing? (A good thing.)

The call to divide from sin, and to divide from this world, is really a call to allow Him to give us victory over sin in our lives, participate in God’s character, and be united to Christ. It is also a call to experience God’s power as Creator. This power was demonstrated during Creation Week as God used the principle of division:

Day 1, God divided light from darkness
Day 2, God divided water above and below the firmament
Day 3, God divided the water from dry land
Day 4, God divided the day from the night with lights in the sky
Day 5, God divided animal life according to where they live
Day 6, God divided Adam from the dust, and then divided Eve from Adam’s side
Day 7, God divided time itself and sanctified the seventh day

Just as God used the principle of physical division during creation week, He wants to use the principle of spiritual division from sin in our salvation today. It is no coincidence that the many calls for spiritual and religious ecumenism and unity today are arising from a world, and a fallen Christianity, that has almost completely rejected the Bible’s identification of God as Creator.

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Language, Text, and Context (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 7)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (May 9, 2020): Scripture’s Remnant Concept

The study and understanding of words is an important aspect of Bible study. In today’s lesson we will conduct a brief study on Scripture’s remnant theme, and the various Hebrew and Greek words that are used to communicate this concept.

Digging Deeper

The Hebrew word she’ār means “that which is left over, or remains,” and in its various derivatives occurs 226 times in the Old Testament. In the book of Isaiah it frequently refers to the “remnant” of Israel (Isaiah 10:20) or “His people” (Isaiah 11:11, 16; 28:5). Another Hebrew word, 'achariyth, often refers to contexts where a remnant does not survive (see Numbers 24:20; Amos 9:1; and Ezekiel 23:25). In the New Testament, the Greek word liopós can refer to those who refuse to repent, while katáliopoi is used for the “remnant according to the election of grace” in Romans 11:5.

Apply It

The remnant theme runs through Scripture, and can be categorized into three uses.

The historical remnant—those who remain because they survive, such as those described in Isaiah 1:4-9.
The faithful remnant—those who remain because of their faith in God. Examples include Noah (Genesis 7:23), Joseph (Genesis 45:7), and Daniel (Daniel 1:8).
The eschatological remnant—those who are saved by God through the tribulations of the end time (Joel 2:31,32; Revelation 12:17; 14:12).

Share It

Have you ever had an experience when you were, or at least felt like you were, the only one left in a particular situation? How did that feel? What emotions did it evoke?

Sunday (May 10, 2020): Understanding the Scriptures

In John 7:17 Jesus explained one of the most important keys to understanding Scripture—our willingness and determination to obey God: “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” In today’s lesson we will continue our study of the Bible’s eschatological remnant, and see how prophecy reveals that they are determined to obey God no matter the cost.

Digging Deeper

Read Revelation 12:17 and 14:12. What common characteristic do they both mention regarding the eschatological remnant? (They keep the commandments of God.) What commandments do these refer to? How do we know? (Answers will vary.)
Read Revelation 11:19 and 15:5. What “setting” do both of these verses point to? (The sanctuary, or temple, in heaven.) What might this imply about the importance of the material included in between these verses? (It is very important! One scholar notes that these verses “form a kind of inclusio around chapters 12-14, with the intent of turning the reader’s attention to what was inside the inner compartment of the temple, more specifically, to the ark of the covenant” [Johannes Kovar, “The Remnant and God’s Commandments: Revelation 12:17,” in Rodríguez, Toward a Theology of the Remnant, 118; emphasis in the original].)
Read Exodus 25:21. What was contained in the ark of the covenant in the earthly sanctuary? (The Ten Commandments.) What does this imply about what is connected with heaven’s Most Holy Place? (God’s Ten Commandment law.)

Apply It

Read Daniel 7:25. What does the little horn attempt to do to God’s law in this verse? (Change it.) How does this contrast with the saints’ attitude toward God’s law in Revelation? (It’s the complete opposite!) What does this imply about the difficulty God’s people will face in keeping His law at the end of time? (It will be very difficult.)
Read Revelation 14:6,7. In these verses, what commandment does the first angel refer to? (The fourth commandment.) What does this reveal about the importance of this commandment at the end of time? (Satan’s attack against God’s law will center around issues connected with the fourth commandment and the seventh-day Sabbath.)

Share It

How have you found God’s law to be a blessing in your life?

Monday (May 11, 2020): Words and Their Meanings

In every language words carry deep meaning. This can make the process of translation and interpretation especially difficult. In today’s lesson we will continue our study of Revelation’s eschatological remnant by focusing on the various meanings of the word Sabbath.

Digging Deeper

Read Exodus 16:23. In this first occurrence in the Bible of the word Sabbath, what does God instruct the people to do on that day? (Rest from their work.) What adjective is used in this verse to describe the Sabbath? (It is holy.) What makes it holy? (Answers will vary.)
Read Exodus 20:8. (What does this verse say we should do on the Sabbath? (Keep it holy.)
Read Exodus 20:11. How do we keep the Sabbath holy? (By resting from our work on that day.)
Read Exodus 31:14. What connections do you see in this verse between resting on the Sabbath and keeping it holy? (We “keep” the Sabbath holy by not working on that day.)

Apply It

Read Hebrews 4:4. What did God do on the seventh day of creation week? (He rested from His work.) What does this reveal about the purpose of our not working on the Sabbath? (The Sabbath is an opportunity for us to enter into God’s rest.)
Read Hebrews 4:9,10. What does it mean to “enter into God’s rest”? (We cease from our own “works” of salvation and trust in God, claiming His promises of salvation.)
Read Revelation 14:9-13. In the third angel’s message, what two groups of people are described? (Those who receive the mark of the beast, and those that do not. These groups can also be described as those that do not have rest [verse 11], and those that do [verse 13].)

Share It

In what ways have you found spiritual rest in your relationship with God? In what ways are you looking for greater spiritual rest in Him?

Tuesday (May 12, 2020): Repetition, Word Patterns, and Meaning

The Hebrew language contains no punctuation, and as a result the language uses other methods of organizing and communicating ideas, such as repetition and word patterns. Today we will explore this aspect of communication with Scripture.

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 1:26,27. What action of God is repeated three times in these two verses? (The fact that God created humanity.) What else is repeated three times regarding humanity’s creation? (The fact that we are created in the image of God.) What does this repetition suggest about these two facts? (They are very important!)
Read Isaiah 6:3. What does Isaiah hear the angels repeating three times in their worship of God? (“Holy, Holy, Holy.”) Again, what does this suggest about the One being worshipped? (He is holy beyond our comprehension. Also, many have seen a reference to the three Persons of the Godhead in the thrice-repeated cry of “holy.”)
Read Daniel 3:1,2,3,5,7,12,14,15. What phrase, with variations, is repeated 10 times in these verses? (“The image which Nebuchadnezzar set up.”) What seems to be the emphasis in this repetition? (Nebuchadnezzar’s proud and conceited construction of an image in defiance of the image revealed to him by God in Daniel 2.)

Apply It

Read Revelation 14:6-12. How many angels fly over the earth with a heavenly message at the end of time? (Three.) Why might this message be divided into three sections? (While there is a progression from the first angel’s message to the third angel’s message, in reality they are expressing the same truth three times, in three different ways.) Considering what we studied above about Scripture’s three-time repetition of important truths connected with God, what might the Three Angels’ Messages be communicating to us today? (Answers will vary.)
Read Revelation 17:12,16. How many “horns” unite against God and the saints at the end of time? (Ten.) Considering our study above of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, what message does Revelation 17 seem to be trying to communicate? (At the end of time earthly powers will repeat Nebuchadnezzar’s attempt to enforce false worship.)

Share It

What aspect of truth, or of God’s character, has God repeatedly impressed upon you recently? How has this impacted your relationship with God?

Wednesday (May 13, 2020): Texts and Contexts

Words can change meanings based on their context. For example, we might say, “It’s great to see you!” to a friend that we haven’t visited in a long time. On the other hand, when something goes wrong, we might say with frustration, “Oh, that’s just great!” Obviously, the meaning of the word great can change drastically given the context in which we use it. In today’s lesson we will look at the concept of the Sabbath in various historical and prophetic contexts throughout Scripture.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages that refer to God or His work as perfect, and summarize what they reveal about God’s absolute perfection:

Deuteronomy 32:4 (God’s work is perfect and without fault.)
Isaiah 46:9,10 (God’s wisdom and foreknowledge is perfect.)
Matthew 28:18 (God has all power and uses it perfectly.)
James 1:13 (God cannot be tempted.)

Read the following passages that refer to God’s call to each of us, and summarize what they reveal about the possibility of human “perfection”:

Genesis 17:1 (God calls Abram to trust Him and His promises to a much greater degree than he had before.)
Matthew 5:48 (Jesus calls us to love our neighbors and enemies, just as God does.)
Romans 12:1,2 (We are to surrender ourselves to God and receive the mind of Christ, which will enable us to understand God’s perfect will.)

Apply It

Revelation 14:5 describes the saints at the end of time as being “without fault before the throne of God,” even as they continue to live on earth. What kind of “perfection” is being described here? (Certainly not the absolute perfection of God. Instead, it must be perfection within the possibility of the human sphere—complete and total submission to God and trust in Him.)

Share It

In what ways has God been working in your life to move you closer to Him?

Thursday (May 14, 2020): Books and Their Messages

The varying styles and emphases of the four gospels illustrate well the different messages contained in the books of the Bible. Matthew’s gospel contains numerous references to how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, and seeks to show that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. Mark’s is the shortest gospel, yet it is action-packed and contains numerous miracles that Jesus performed. Luke’s account of Christ’s life is written more as a historical narrative and reveals the writing style of an educated doctor and historian. John’s gospel has often been said to focus on the divinity of Christ. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at the gospel of John and its connections with the sanctuary and its services.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and identify how each one connects Jesus Christ with some aspect of the sanctuary or its services:

John 10:9 (Jesus is the door to God and salvation.)
John 1:29 (Jesus is the Lamb slain at the altar of burnt offering.)
John 4:10 (Jesus is the water of life.)
John 6:35 (Jesus is the bread of life.)
John 8:12 (Jesus is the light of the world.)
John 17 (Jesus is the Intercessor praying before God’s throne.)
John 12:48-50 (Jesus is the Word upon which our salvation depends.)
John 13:1-11 and 15:3 (Jesus is our great High Priest that washes us from sin.)

Apply It

In Revelation 11:19, “the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” The chapters that follow (Revelation 12-14) describe the final conflict on earth between good and evil, and God’s faithful people who are delivered through that experience. Considering John’s gospel revelation of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the sanctuary and its services, what kind of experience with Christ is the book of Revelation calling God’s people to at the end of time? (Answers will vary.)

Friday (May 15, 2020): Chiastic Structure

Chiastic structure is another way that Scripture often organizes its message to us. In this structure, literary units are repeated and reflected around a central unique theme:

A Idea A first presented

B Idea B first presented

C The central, unique, and most important idea

B’ Idea B repeated, often with variation

A’ Idea A repeated, often with variation

Scripture is filled with numerous chiastic structures of varying size and complexity. A simple example is Christ’s promise in Matthew 11:28-30:

A verse 28, if you are heavy laden, Christ will give you rest

B verse 29a, take Christ’s yoke on you

C verse 29b, if you do this you will find rest for your soul

B’ verse 30a, Christ’s yoke is easy

A’ verse 30b, Christ’s burden is light

Digging Deeper

A much longer and more complex chiastic structure forms much of the last chapters of the gospel of Matthew, in chapters 21-25:

A Matt. 21:18-22, parable of the fig tree (curse on those that pretend to be servants of God)

B Matt. 21:33-46, parable of the husbandmen (judgment on God’s servants)

C Matt. 22:1-14, parable of the marriage dinner (preparation for the marriage)

D Matt. 23, woes on the Pharisees (curses on unfaithful servants)

E Matt. 24:1-42, signs of Christ’s second coming

D’ Matt. 24:43-51, faithful and unfaithful servants (curses on unfaithful servants)

C’ Matt. 25:1-13, the ten virgins (preparation for the marriage)

B’ Matt. 25:14-30, the ten talents (judgment on God’s servants)

A’ Matt. 25:31-46, the sheep and the goats (curse on those that pretend to be servants of God)

All of sacred history, as revealed in the Bible, may also be understood as forming a chiasm around the life of Jesus Christ. We don’t have space in this study guide to explore this idea further, but a free one-hour video titled The Hinge of History is available on our website for those that would like to study this largest of all chiasms.

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Why Is Interpretation Needed? (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 6)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 2 May 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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The “Digging Deeper” section probes into the day’s topic, and illustrates the study principle or tool being discussed. Suggested answers, if included, are provided in parentheses. Sabbath School teachers will find this section especially helpful in the Sabbath School setting. The “Apply It” section gives the student an opportunity to apply the subject at hand to their own study of the Bible, and the “Share It” section provides an opportunity for those in group studies to discuss and share their response to the day’s theme.

Sabbath (May 2, 2020): Why Is Interpretation Needed?

You may have heard the old story of the man that desperately wanted to understand the Bible. Opening randomly to Matthew 27:5, he read, “And he [Judas] cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” Not comfortable with that passage, he randomly opened to a second one, this time in Luke 10:37. This time he read, “Go, and do thou likewise.” Getting worried about what God might be telling him, he tried a third time, and landed on John 13:27, which said, “That thou doest, do quickly.” While this man was reading the Bible, his method of Bible study—one without interpretation—was clearly deficient.

A faithful and correct interpretation of a Biblical passage answers two basic questions. First, what does the text say? And second, what does the text mean? For those that can’t read the Bible’s original languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, the answer to the first question involves translating the text into another language. The second question involves interpretation of the text—determining what it meant to the original author and audience, and what it means for us today.

Digging Deeper

Read 1 Corinthians 2:16. What is the single biggest key to understanding and interpreting the Bible correctly? (Having the mind of Christ.) How do we get this? (Pray for it!)

Apply It

Read the following passages and discuss the dangers we must guard against as we study the Bible:

Proverbs 16:18 (pride)
2 Timothy 4:3,4 (laziness and sloth)
Revelation 22:18,19 (adding to or taking away from what is in the Bible)
Luke 24:44 (losing sight of Jesus Christ as the focus of all Scripture)

Share It

Is pride or slothfulness a bigger danger in our study of the Bible? Why?
What practices or tools have you discovered in your own life that have helped you avoid or overcome these dangers?

Sunday (May 3, 2020): Presuppositions

A presupposition is something taken for granted in advance. The implication is that the thing presupposed is usually not discussed or even thought through carefully. For example, historians have identified at least two presuppositions that the American military held prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941—first, that Japan would not attack, and second, that Japan did not have any airplanes capable of catching American B-24 bombers. Tragically, both of these presuppositions were wrong, and deadly.

The Google dictionary defines a presupposition as “a thing tacitly assumed beforehand at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action.” In music, if a particular part rests for the entire section or movement, the word tacet will often appear in the score, indicating that instrument is to be silent. Presuppositions can likewise leave us mentally “silent” on a subject, either incapable or unmotivated to reason through the evidence before us.

Digging Deeper

Read 2 Peter 3:3-7. What presupposition does Peter say many will have at the end of time? (Many will believe that God never created life to begin with, and that there was never a worldwide flood that destroyed all life on earth.)
Read Luke 19:11,12. What presupposition about His mission did Jesus try to correct in this passage? (Jesus knew that the disciples and the people believed the Messiah would set up God’s kingdom on earth immediately. He wanted them to realize that He must go to heaven first and then return. Only after that would God’s kingdom be set up on earth.)

Apply It

Read the following passage from the book Messages to Young People and discuss the keys to overcoming presuppositions:

In your study of the Word, lay at the door of investigation your preconceived opinions and your hereditary and cultivated ideas. You will never reach the truth if you study the Scriptures to vindicate your own ideas. Leave these at the door, and with a contrite heart go in to hear what the Lord has to say to you. As the humble seeker for truth sits at Christ’s feet, and learns of Him, the Word gives him understanding. To those who are too wise in their own conceit to study the Bible, Christ says, You must become meek and lowly in heart if you desire to become wise unto salvation. {MYP 260.1}

Do not read the Word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you read, conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the Word, do not try to make the Word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the Word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. Open the eyes of your mind to behold wondrous things out of the law. Find out what is written, and then plant your feet on the eternal Rock. {MYP 260.2}

Share It

What presupposition(s) about truth, life, etc., has God changed in your life?

Monday (May 4, 2020): Translation and Interpretation

An interpreter is someone who translates what someone is saying into another language. Anyone who has travelled to a country that speaks a language they are not familiar with knows how valuable and important a good translator is. Without a translator it is easy to end up lost, confused, or even in a dangerous situation. Yet even with a translation the challenge of understanding something originally expressed in another language can be difficult. The expression, “something got lost in translation,” captures well the frustration that can occur in this process. Understanding the Bible, for most of us, involves using translations from the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic languages, and then attempting to interpret the meaning behind those translated words. The art and skill of translating and interpreting texts is called hermeneutics.

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 24:27. What did Jesus do for His disciples in this verse? (He interpreted Scripture for them and explained it to them.)
Read John 16:13,14. Through what Agency does Jesus teach us and help us understand Scripture today? (The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth.)

Share It

Which translations have you found to be most helpful in your study of the Bible? Why?

Tuesday (May 5, 2020): The Bible and Culture

The culture we grow up in influences how we interact with people, events, and ideas. Our cultural conditioning also impacts how we read, interpret, and understand the Bible. Of course, while human culture continues changing, the Bible does not change. This dynamic can create challenges for us in understanding how to read and interpret the Bible within the context of our immediate culture.

Digging Deeper

Read Acts 17:26. What did Paul mean by this statement that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men”? (He apparently meant several things: First, God is the Creator of all people. Second, all human beings, regardless of culture, are part of the same human family. Third, there is more that we have in common with each other than ways we are different.)
Read 1 John 5:19. What is the common denominator of all human cultures? (Every culture “lieth in wickedness.”) What does this imply about our reading and understanding of the Bible? (Its core message of salvation from sin applies equally to all people. Also, we all need to “come out” [Revelation 18:4] from our respective cultures into Bible truth, which is different from every culture.)

Apply It

Read Matthew 24:37-39. Here Jesus compares the days and culture of Noah to the time of the end. These are two vastly different times and cultures, so what conclusions can we draw about the Bible and culture from Christ’s comparison here?
Read 1 John 4:8. The word love is used many ways in modern English. For instance, couples married for decades and infatuated teenagers all say “I love you” to their significant other. We also say that we love our family, our job, our car, or pizza. How does this influence our understanding of the Bible’s statement that “God is love”?

Share It

What aspects of your culture make it hard to understand and accept the Bible?
What aspects of your culture have helped you to understand the Bible better?

Wednesday (May 6, 2020): Our Sinful and Fallen Nature

Probably the single biggest challenge we all face in correctly understanding the Bible’s message to us is our sinful and fallen human nature. In today’s lesson we will look at this challenge, and the Bible’s solution to it.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and summarize what they are saying about the effects of sin on our minds and understanding:

Isaiah 59:1,2. (Sin separates us from God.)
John 9:39-41. (Sin blinds us to truth and to our true condition.)
John 12:42,43. (Sin focuses our attention more on what people think, rather than what God thinks.)

Apply It

Read 1 Corinthians 2:12-14. What keys to understanding the Bible are revealed here? (We must have the Holy Spirit’s leading, and allow the Bible to explain itself as we compare spiritual things with spiritual. Comparing spiritual things with carnal things will lead us into error.)
Read 1 Corinthians 2:16 and Philippians 2:5-8. What key is revealed here that will help us understand the Bible and God’s message through it? (We must have the mind of Christ, and be willing to humble ourselves, and our opinions, as we ask for this blessing.)

Share It

For what reasons should we be thankful that the Bible is spiritually discerned? What errors and pitfalls should this realization prevent us from making?

Thursday (May 7, 2020): Why Interpretation is Important

There are thousands of divisions and denominations within Christianity today, with many, though not all of them, claiming the Bible as their source of theology and ecclesiology. This, of course, begs the question, “If so many people are reading the same Book, why are there so many different conclusions as to what it actually says?” The possible answers to this question include the possibility that not everyone allows the Bible to speak for itself, or that people approach the Bible with different goals and for different purposes. In today’s lesson we will look at the example of the disciples as they waited for Pentecost and see where their study of the Bible led.

Digging Deeper

Read Acts 1:4,5. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do after He ascended to heaven? (Wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.)
Read Acts 1:12-14. What did the disciples do after Jesus left them? (They obeyed His command and went into an upper room where they prayed.)
Read Acts 1:15-26. What else did they do? (They selected a replacement for Judas Iscariot.) Why did they do that? (Peter indicated that Scripture predicted a replacement for Judas should be chosen.) What does this reveal about what they were doing in the upper room in addition to praying? (They were also studying Scripture.)

Apply It

The following excerpts from the chapter titled “Pentecost” in the book Acts of the Apostles reveal seven things the disciples were doing as they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In what ways does their experience provide guidance for us in our study and interpretation of the Bible?

“…they were ‘continually in the temple, praising and blessing God’ ” (p. 35).
“They also met together to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. …Higher and still higher they extended the hand of faith” (pp. 35-36).
“…they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief” (p. 36).
“As they meditated upon His pure, holy life they felt that no toil would be too hard, no sacrifice too great, if only they could bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of Christ’s character” (p. 36).
“The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ” (p. 37).
“Putting all differences, all desire for supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship” (p. 37).
“…in obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift” (p. 37).

Friday (May 8, 2020): William Miller’s Method of Bible Study

The Advent movement was founded on the Bible, and in particular on a systematic, faithful, and humble investigation of its truths. In today’s lesson we will look at William Miller’s method of Bible study, and its challenge for us today.

Digging Deeper

Reprinted below are William Miller’s “Rules of Interpretation,” originally published in The Midnight Cry, November 17, 1842.

Every word must have its proper bearing on the subject presented in the Bible. Matt. 5:18
All Scripture is necessary, and may be understood by diligent application and study. 2 Tim. 3:15,16,17
Nothing revealed in the Scripture can or will be hid from those who ask in faith, not wavering. Deut. 29:29; Matt. 10:26,27; 1 Cor. 2:10; Phil. 3:15; Isa. 14:11; Matt. 21:22; John 14:13,14; 15:7; James 1:5,6; 1 John 5:13,14,15
To understand doctrine, bring all the Scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper influence, and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in an error. Isa. 28:7-29; 35:8; Prov. 19:27; Luke 24:27,44,45; Rom. 16:26; James 5:19; 2 Pet. 1:19,20
Scripture must be its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound it to me, and he should guess at its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed, or to be thought wise, then his guessing, desire, creed, or wisdom is my rule, not the Bible. Ps. 19:7-11; 119:97-105; Matt. 23:8-10; 1 Cor 2:12-16; Eze. 34:18,19; Luke 11:52; Mal. 2:7,8
God has revealed things to come, by visions, in figures and parables, and in this way the same things are oftentimes revealed again and again, by different visions, or in different figures and parables. If you wish to understand them, you must combine them all in one. Ps. 89:19; Hos. 12:10; Hab. 2:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Cor. 10:6; Heb. 9:9,24; Ps. 78:2; Matt. 8:13, 34; Gen. 41:1-32; Dan. 2; 7; 8; Acts10:9-16
Visions are always mentioned as such. 2 Cor. 12:1
Figures always have a figurative meaning, and are used much in prophecy to represent future things, times and events; such as mountains, meaning governments; beasts, meaning kingdoms, waters, meaning people, lamps, meaning Word of God, day, meaning year. Dan. 2:35,44; 7:8,17; Rev. 17:1,15; Ps. 119:105; Ezek. 4:6
Parables are used as comparison to illustrate subjects, and must be explained in the same way as figures, by the subject and Bible. See explanation of the ten virgins, Miller’s Lectures, No. 16. Mark 4:13
Figures sometimes have two or more different significations; as day is used in a figurative sense to represent three different periods of time.
1. Indefinite
2. Definite, a day for a year.
3. Day for a thousand years.
4. If you put on the right construction it will harmonize with the Bible and make good sense; otherwise, it will not. Eccles. 7:14; Ezek. 4:6; 2 Pet. 3:8
How to know when a word is used figuratively: If it makes good sense as it stands, and does no violence to the simple laws of nature, then it must be understood literally; if not, figuratively. Rev. 12:1,2; 17:3-7
To learn the true meaning of figures, trace your figurative word through your Bible, and where you find it explained, put it on your figure, and if it makes good sense you need look no further; if not, look again.
To know whether we have the true historical event for the fulfillment of a prophecy: If you find every word of the prophecy (after the figures are understood) is literally fulfilled, then you may know that your history is the true event. But if one word lacks a fulfillment, then you must look for another event, or await its future development. For God takes care that history and prophecy doth agree, so that the true, believing children of God may never be ashamed. Ps. 21:5; Isa. 14:17-19; 1 Pet. 2:6; Rev. 17:17; Acts 3:18
The most important rule of all is, that you must have faith. It must be a faith that requires a sacrifice, and, if tried, would give up the dearest object on earth, the world and all its desires, character, living, occupation, friends, home, comforts and worldly honors. If any of these should hinder our believing any part of God’s word, it would show our faith to be vain. Nor can we ever believe so long as one of these motives lies lurking in our hearts. We must believe that God will never forfeit His word. And we can have confidence that He that takes notice of the sparrow, and numbers the hairs of our head, will guard the translation of His own word, and throw a barrier around it, and prevent those who sincerely trust in God, and put implicit confidence in His word, from erring far from the truth, though they may not understand Hebrew or Greek.

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By Scripture Alone -- Sola Scriptura (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 5)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (April 25, 2020): By Scripture Alone—Sola Scriptura

In this week’s lessons we will focus on several characteristics of the Bible that make it unique and make its study effective. These characteristics reflect the characteristics of God, its Author, and in today’s study we will explore some of these similarities between the Bible and what the Bible reveals about God.

Digging Deeper

Read the passages below and discuss the similarities they reveal between God and the Bible:

Scripture as the Ruling Norm. Compare Psalm 99:1 and Revelation 19:11-16.
The Unity of Scripture. Compare John 10:30 and John 17:11.
The Clarity of Scripture. Compare Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1; and John 18:20.
Scripture Interprets Scripture. Compare John 1:18; John 14:9; and John 16:13,14.

Share It

What difference does it make theologically and practically that the characteristics of the Bible reflect the characteristics of God? How should this impact our faith in the Bible as God’s Word to us?

Sunday (April 26, 2020): Scripture as the Ruling Norm

The Protestant Reformation was, in large part, a reaction against the usurpation of biblical authority that had led to the rise and dominion of the papacy. The Roman Church based its teachings on a mixture of Scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium—the teaching authority of the pope and bishops. The Reformers, in contrast, upheld the Bible alone as the final arbiter of religious truth and spiritual practice. Martin Luther wrote, “Scripture alone is the true lord and master of all writings and doctrine on earth” (Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, vol. 32: Career of the Reformer II, ed. Hilton C. Oswald and Helmut T. Lehmann [Philadelpha: Fortress Press, 1999], pp. 11,12). In today’s lesson we will look more closely at the important concept of Scripture as the ruling norm in matters of faith and spiritual practice.

Digging Deeper

Read Revelation 22:18,19. What do the Bible’s closing words say regarding the importance of our view of Scripture’s authority? (It determines our salvation.)
Read Acts 17:10,11. Where did the Bereans turn when confronted with questions regarding what Scripture teaches? (They turned to the Bible.) What was the practical result in their faith and characters? (The Bible says that they were “more noble.” The Greek word eugenēs translated as “noble” here is the same word used to identify the “nobleman” in Luke 19:12, where Jesus refers to Himself as a “nobleman” that “went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” The implication is that Bible study is a powerful tool by which God can change our characters to be more like Him.)

Apply It

Read 1 Timothy 4:4,5. Some people have claimed that in verse 4 Paul lifts the Old Testament dietary restrictions against unclean meats. However, what does verse 5 reveal about Paul’s true view on the matter? (Paul upheld the authority of the Old Testament’s dietary laws, because he clarified that the “every creature” to be eaten includes only those “sanctified by the word of God.”)
Read John 5:39. Jesus pointed the people around Him to look at Scripture as a testimony to Who He was and how He lived. Should Christians be able to do the same thing today? Do you think God wants the world to be able to identify genuine Christians by comparing what they see in their lives with what they read in Scripture?

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What experiences have you had in your life that have affirmed or demonstrated the importance of the Bible as the source of spiritual authority?

Monday (April 27, 2020): The Unity of Scripture

One of the most important aspects of the Reformers’ stance of Sola Scriptura was their belief in the doctrinal unity of all Scripture.

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 24:27,44,45. What was Jesus’ view regarding the unity of Scripture and the internal coherence of its teachings? (He believed that all of Scripture pointed toward Himself in a united and coherent way.) Verse 45 says that Jesus “opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” What does this phrase suggest regarding the connection between understanding Scripture and viewing it as a unified whole? (If we do not see all of Scripture as unified and as pointing to Christ, we will not understand the Bible.)
Read Romans 3:10-18. What Old Testament books does Paul quote from in this passage? (Ecclesiastes [7:20], Psalms [14:2,3; 5:9; 10:7], and Isaiah [59:7,8].) What does this suggest regarding Paul’s view of the unity of the Old Testament books? (He assumed the unity of Scripture.)
Read 2 Timothy3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20,21. These passages point to God, and specifically the Holy Spirit, as the real Author of all Scripture. Why is this so important to remember when considering the fundamental unity of Scripture? (Because all Scripture has the same Author, its message and teachings will also be the same.)

Apply It

Select a book of the Bible at random and prayerfully search for the gospel message of salvation in Jesus Christ in that book. Then look for a way to share that message simply and clearly with someone else.

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Does it matter that we see all of Scripture as being a unified whole? What would change in our understanding of God if this was not the case?

Tuesday (April 28, 2020): The Clarity of Scripture

Another important characteristic of the Bible is its claims to clarity. After all, its message of hope and salvation would be meaningless if we were not able to understand it.

Digging Deeper

Read Matthew 18:3. What did Jesus imply in this verse about the clarity of the Bible’s central message? (It is clear enough and simple enough that even little children can understand it.)
Read the following passages and summarize how Jesus seems to expect us to read and understand the Bible: Matthew 12:3,5; 19:4; 21:42; 22:31. (He expects us to read, understand, and believe what is written.)
Read 1 Corinthians 2:9,10,13,14. What is essential to our understanding of the Bible? (We must have the Holy Spirit guiding us as we read and study.)

There are many things apparently difficult or obscure, which God will make plain and simple to those who thus seek an understanding of them. But without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we shall be continually liable to wrest the Scriptures or to misinterpret them. There is much reading of the Bible that is without profit and in many cases a positive injury. When the word of God is opened without reverence and without prayer; when the thoughts and affections are not fixed upon God, or in harmony with His will, the mind is clouded with doubts; and in the very study of the Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the thoughts, and he suggests interpretations that are not correct. Whenever men are not in word and deed seeking to be in harmony with God, then, however learned they may be, they are liable to err in their understanding of Scripture, and it is not safe to trust to their explanations. Those who look to the Scriptures to find discrepancies, have not spiritual insight. With distorted vision they will see many causes for doubt and unbelief in things that are really plain and simple. {SC 111.1}

Apply It

Read John 7:17. What did Jesus imply was the reason that most people will claim that the teachings and doctrines of the Bible are not clear? (Jesus implied that confusion and uncertainty regarding the teachings of the Bible arise when we are not willing to do God’s will. Compare Matthew 13:14,15.)

Disguise it as they may, the real cause of doubt and skepticism, in most cases, is the love of sin. The teachings and restrictions of God’s word are not welcome to the proud, sin-loving heart, and those who are unwilling to obey its requirements are ready to doubt its authority. In order to arrive at truth, we must have a sincere desire to know the truth and a willingness of heart to obey it. And all who come in this spirit to the study of the Bible will find abundant evidence that it is God’s word, and they may gain an understanding of its truths that will make them wise unto salvation. {Steps to Christ, 111.1}

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What experiences have you had in your life that have helped you understand the Bible better?

Wednesday (April 29, 2020): Scripture Interprets Scripture

One of the most fascinating aspects of Bible study is the fact that the Bible acts as its own interpreter. While Bible dictionaries, concordances, and other extra-biblical materials can provide help in our understanding of Scripture, the Bible is perfectly capable of explaining itself.

Digging Deeper

Read Isaiah 28:9,10. What does this passage say regarding the method of Bible study that will help us to “understand doctrine”? (We should compare line upon line, or verse with verse.) What does the phrase in this verse “here a little, and there a little,” imply? (Comparing various passages of Scripture together often reveals biblical truth.)

The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and to see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme, of God’s original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption. He should understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for supremacy, and should learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found. {Education 190.2}

Read Matthew 24:37-42. In His discussion about being prepared for the second coming, what point was Jesus trying to make by referring to Noah’s story? (The second coming will surprise many people who won’t be ready for it. Like the people in Noah’s day, they will be lost.) For what reasons did Jesus attempt to make His point by referring to another passage of Scripture? (He realized that His warning would be more easily understood and remembered by comparing what He was saying with another passage of Scripture.)

Apply It

The Bible does contain some passages that can be confusing to understand correctly if they are wrestled away from the larger context of the entire Bible. The following Bible verses provide an example of this regarding the state of the dead.

Read Revelation 14:11 and 20:10. Taken at face value, what do these verses seem to suggest about the fate of the wicked? (They will burn forever in hell.)
Read Jude 1:7. What point(s) is this verse making by comparing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to the fate of lost angels and people? (Just like these cities were burned with fire, the lost will perish in fire, too.) What does this verse say about the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? (It was an “eternal fire.”) Are those fires still burning today? (No.)
Read Exodus 21:6. What does “for ever” mean here? Does it mean that the servant will serve this family throughout eternity? (It means that the servant will serve as long as he lives.) How can this help us understand the verses in Revelation 14:11 and 20:10? (The lost will burn in hell as long as they remain alive, which won’t be very long. The fires will burn until there is nothing left to burn, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah.)

Share It

People sometimes criticize the use of a Bible verse to prove a doctrinal point, claiming that this is an unlearned “proof-texting” approach to Bible study. What are the dangers associated with isolating a single Bible verse and letting it determine a doctrinal point? On the other hand, what are the dangers associated with refusing to allow the Bible to explain itself?

Thursday (April 30, 2020): Sola Scriptura and Ellen G. White

Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White demonstrated the gift of prophecy in her life and in her writings. Understanding the relationship between her writings and the Bible is an important topic that Ellen White herself wrote about.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages from the writings of Ellen White and discuss what they reveal about her view of the Bible:

But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain “Thus saith the Lord” in its support. {The Great Controversy, 595.1}

The Lord has sent his people much instruction, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light. O, how much good would be accomplished if the books containing this light were read with a determination to carry out the principles they contain! There would be a thousandfold greater vigilance, a thousandfold more self-denial and resolute effort. And many more would now be rejoicing in the light of present truth. {Review and Herald, January 20, 1903, Art. B, par. 9}

You are not familiar with the Scriptures. If you had made God’s word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies. It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves with God’s inspired Book that He has sought to reach you by simple, direct testimonies, calling your attention to the words of inspiration which you had neglected to obey, and urging you to fashion your lives in accordance with its pure and elevated teachings. {Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, 605.1}

Apply It

Read Luke 20:1-8. What did Jesus say regarding the authenticity and role of John the Baptist, a contemporary prophet in Christ’s day? (Jesus said that if the people did not believe John was a true prophet, then they wouldn’t accept Jesus as the Messiah, either.) How should we apply the principles in this conversation to our day and the role of Ellen G. White? (Answers will vary.)

Friday (May 1, 2020): The Primacy of the Word

The Bible reveals much about the final conflict on this earth between good and evil. We will conclude this week’s set of lessons by looking at this conflict and the role that the Bible, and our view of the Bible, will play in the destiny of every person.

Digging Deeper

Read Daniel 12:1 and Revelation 13:8. In the “time of trouble” at the end of time, what role do God’s books play in the destiny of individual people? (Those who are written in the book of life will remain faithful to God and will be delivered.)
Read Daniel 12:3,4. At the end of time, what will those people who are faithful to God be reading and following? (They will be reading, following, and explaining “the book” to many people.) What is “the book” that will be unsealed at the end of time? (It is the prophecies in the book of Daniel, specifically chapters 8-12.)
Read Daniel 12:10. What does this verse imply about those that don’t understand the things written in “the book”? (They will not be purified, made white, and tried, but will instead continue “do[ing] wickedly.”) What does this suggest about the importance and the practical results of studying God’s Word? (It has a direct bearing on our salvation, and results in a life of victory over sin through God’s power.)

Apply It

Read the passage below from the book The Great Controversy and discuss its relevance for us today:

Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief. {GC 625.3}

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How has the Bible helped you stay faithful to God in a “time of trouble” in your life?

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The Bible--the Authoritative Source of Our Theology (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 4)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (April 18, 2020): The Bible—the Authoritative Source of Our Theology

Theology is the study, or science, of God. Even in a perfect world without sin, this would be a challenging field of study, for how can any created being really study and understand its Creator? Of necessity, the One that creates must be more complex, more intelligent, and more powerful than the one that is created. Sin, of course, has greatly increased the challenge that theology presents, for sin separates us from God, and how can someone study another Being while being separated from Him? Only through divine revelation, such as that given in the Bible, can we hope to pursue the field of theology in our quest to know the divine. This week we will look at how, and why, the Bible is the authoritative source of our theology. Why is it more trustworthy than our own experience, or traditions, or culture, or reason?

In our study this week we will see why it is so important to keep theology and anthropology separated. Theology is the study of God, and anthropology is the study, or science, of human beings. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary gives this definition of anthropology: “the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture.” While anthropology is a valuable field of study, it must never be confused with, or replace, theology. Much of what passes for theology today is, in reality, much closer to anthropology than it is to theology. As a result, God’s promises and His power are often confused with, or substituted by, human power and ability. Let’s begin this week’s study by looking at a couple of stories in the Bible where the disciples were in danger of making this very mistake.

Digging Deeper

Read Mark 10:23-26. What did Jesus say that shocked His disciples? (It is almost impossible for a rich man to enter into heaven.) In verse 26, what conclusion did the disciples reach? (No one can be saved.) Is this conclusion based on a theological or anthropological perspective? (It’s really an anthropologically based perspective and conclusion, and one that would be correct if God is kept out of the picture.) On whom were the disciples focused? (They were focused on themselves and on humanity.)
Read Matthew 10:27. What does Jesus say here about God’s power? (With God all things are possible, including the salvation of rich people!) On whom was Jesus focused? (He was focused on God and His power. This is a theological perspective.)
Read Matthew 14:22-24. What crisis was occupying the disciples’ attention? (The storm.) How might this storm represent the many things of this world that can occupy our attention and cause us fear? (Answers will vary.)
Read Matthew 14:25-30. In verse 30, what caused Peter to sink in the water? (He began focusing on himself and the storm taking place around him. His attention was drawn away from Christ to the things going on around him in the world.)
Read Matthew 14:31-33. At the end of this story, where was the disciples’ attention focused? (They were focused again on Christ.)

When trouble comes upon us, how often we are like Peter! We look upon the waves, instead of keeping our eyes fixed upon the Saviour. Our footsteps slide, and the proud waters go over our souls. Jesus did not bid Peter come to Him that he should perish; He does not call us to follow Him, and then forsake us. “Fear not,” He says; “for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:1-3. {DA 382.1}

Apply It

Read the following passages and discuss in what way(s) they reveal a true theology of salvation, rather than an anthropology-based belief of what is possible for us through Jesus Christ:

Jude 24
1 John 4:17
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Ephesians 5:25-27

“The prince of this world cometh,” said Jesus, “and hath nothing in Me.” John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan’s sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. {DA 123}

Share It

In what ways might Peter’s experience while walking on the water represent the dangers that face us today?
What makes it so difficult for us keep our attention focused on God and His power, rather than on our experience, or abilities, or wisdom, etc? What can help us stay focused on God?

Sunday (April 19, 2020): Tradition

Few things exert a greater influence over people than tradition. Because many traditions are part of our lives from birth, we often are not even aware to what extent our beliefs, daily routines, and worldview are governed by tradition. While some traditions can be good and perhaps even beneficial, others can have serious negative consequences in our spiritual experience. In today’s lesson we will look at a warning Jesus Christ gave about the danger of blindly following tradition.

Digging Deeper

Read Mark 7:1-3. What were Christ’s disciples accused of? (Eating food with ceremonially unwashed hands. It may be difficult for us today to understand the burden that these traditions placed on people, but this and similar regulations formed a major part of daily Jewish life in Christ’s time.)
Read Mark 7:7-9. What did Jesus reveal about the danger that came from focusing on these ceremonial traditions? (People’s efforts to keep them prevented them from focusing on the true requirements of God’s law.)

The rules in regard to purification were numberless. The period of a lifetime was scarcely sufficient for one to learn them all. The life of those who tried to observe the rabbinical requirements was one long struggle against ceremonial defilement, an endless round of washings and purifications. While the people were occupied with trifling distinctions, and observances which God had not required, their attention was turned away from the great principles of His law. {DA 396.1}

Read Mark 7:9-13. Jesus also warned against the tradition of Corban, in which a person would “dedicate” to the church all their possession, yet retain their use until death. This tradition enabled many people to selfishly use their possessions and yet claim that they couldn’t give them to benefit others, even parents, because the money had been dedicated to the church. What did Jesus say was the practical result of this tradition? (The Word of God was made of none effect.)

Apply It

Read 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6. Can there be good traditions? What must be done to ensure that good and beneficial traditions do not become harmful spiritually?

Share It

What tradition(s) does your family or church have that have brought you closer to God and increased your faith in Him?
What tradition(s) does your culture or society have that may be harmful and detrimental to your relationship with God?

Monday (April 20, 2020): Experience

It is impossible to live life without experiences. After all, every minute that we are awake and conscious we are participating in some kind of experience. For this reason, our faith as Christians must, to some degree, be based in experience. At the same time, experience cannot be our final arbiter of truth, nor can we even let experience determine what is or is not ultimately reality. This is a challenge that only the Bible can lead us safely through.

Digging Deeper

Read Romans 7:18-24. What very real experience was Paul describing here? (His struggle with sin.) In his experience, what was far too often the result of this struggle? (He would fall once again into the power of sin and temptation.) If this was all that Paul based his faith on, what conclusion would he reach? (As he wrote in verse 24, he would be doomed to destruction.)
Read Romans 8:1-4. Through faith in Jesus Christ, what is possible for every Christian? (We can walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh.) According to verse 4, what does walking in the Spirit result in? (The righteousness of the law can be fulfilled in us.) Does this sound like an experience to you, or just an abstract and theological belief that is accepted mentally? (It sounds like a real experience.) Can God, then, change our experiences? (Yes.) What is more powerful, then, our experience, or God? (God is more powerful.)
Read John 3:3-8. What experience must we have in order to “walk after the Spirit”? (We must be “born again.”) Can you imagine an experience more radical and life changing than a second birth? (Probably not!) Does God, then, use experience in the process of salvation? (Yes.)

Apply It

Read Revelation 13:12-14. What warning does this passage give about the danger of basing our faith on what we can experience, especially at the end of time?
Read the passages below from the book The Great Controversy and discuss what they reveal about the danger of basing our faith and worship on personal experience at the end of time:

As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is “the great power of God.” Acts 8:10. {GC 624.2}

…Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? {GC 625.3}

Share It

How can we tell the difference between experiences that God brings us in His work of salvation, and experiences that lie outside His work in our lives?
Much of what is called Christianity today is based largely on subjective, personal, and even mystical “experiences” with God with little or no reference to what the Bible says. Why is this kind of religion, or spirituality, so attractive? What is even more attractive about a faith based on the objective, unchanging Word of God?

Tuesday (April 21, 2020): Culture

All human beings are born into a particular culture, and this culture unavoidably plays a significant role in shaping our thought patterns, values, religious perspectives, and worldview. We obviously have no choice in the culture we are born into, although we can choose to continue living in that culture or to adopt a new one. Today we will look at what role culture plays in our understanding of the Bible.

Digging Deeper

Read 1 John 5:19. What affects every culture on this planet? (Sin.) What should this immediately tell us about the potential dangers of our particular culture, no matter which one it is? (All cultures are plagued by sin and, in varying degrees, keep people separated from God.)
Read 1 John 2:15-17. What does it mean to “love” the world? In what ways is it possible to “love” our culture? (Answers will vary.) How should we understand John’s warning in this passage? (This world and the culture that we belong to and probably feel quite comfortable with will separate us from the Father unless we make a conscious decision to do the will of God.)

Apply It

The book of Ruth records the story of a Moabite woman named Ruth and her decision to leave her people and her country and move to Israel with Naomi, her mother-in-law. In reality, Ruth didn’t just leave the land of her birth, she left her culture and adopted a new one.

Read Ruth 1:16. What is Ruth willing to give up in order to become an Israelite? (Everything, even her gods.)
Read Ruth 4:13. Ruth ends up marrying Boaz in her new adopted country. Considering that a woman in Bible prophecy can represent the church, what deep symbolism about Christ and His church may be revealed in the story of Ruth? (Christ expects His people to be willing to leave their culture behind as they come into a relationship with Him.)

Share It

How has your culture shaped your view of the world? How has your culture shaped your view of God?

Wednesday (April 22, 2020): Reason

God gave human beings minds, and He expects us to use them! However, even the gift of intellect and reason can become a snare in our relationship with God and His Word. In today’s lesson we will look at the role that reason plays in our understanding of the Bible.

Digging Deeper

Read Isaiah 1:18. What does God want to do with us? (He wants us to “come and reason.”) What is the subject upon which God wants us to reason with Him? (Sin and God’s ability to forgive it and cleanse it from our lives.)
Read Isaiah 1:16,17,19. What should exercising true spiritual reason lead us to do? (It will lead us to avoid evil, treat others with love, accept God’s plan of salvation, and obey Him.)
Read Isaiah 1:20. What will failure to exercise godly reason lead us to do? (Refuse God’s plan of salvation and rebel against His commandments.)
Read Ephesians 4:18 and 1 Timothy 4:1,2. What warning does Paul give here about Satan’s attack on human reason at the end of time? (Satan will destroy people’s consciences so that they cannot reason in the way God wants them to.) What will this counterfeit reason lead people to do? (Leave the faith.) Are we seeing this in the world today? (Yes.)
Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. What promise does this verse give about God’s power to guide and control our minds and our reasoning? (He can bring every thought into conformity with His will.) Will He do this without our consent? (No.) What, then, is the role of our reason in the process of salvation? (Our role is to choose to give our will and our minds to God. He does the rest.)

Share It

Why is the allure of trusting in human reason such a strong one for so many people? How can we break the satanic spell that makes this such a temptation?

Thursday (April 23, 2020): The Bible

While human tradition, culture, experience, and reason can—and eventually will—fail us in our search for salvation, the Bible remains God’s chosen agency through which He expresses His will and makes His power available to us. “Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus, He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself” (The Desire of Ages, 671).

Digging Deeper

Read John 5:46,47. According to Jesus, what is the ultimate source for understanding spiritual matters? (The Bible.) Why is this a good thing? Why is this better than basing ultimate truth on our personal experience, or culture, or traditions, or reason? (People experience all of these things differently, to varying degrees, and in varying capacities. The Bible is an objective, unchanging expression of truth that transcends cultural, geographic, and personal boundaries.)
Read Isaiah 8:20. What should be the standard by which we judge all teachings that claim to come from the Bible? (Everything must be tested against God’s Word—the “law and the testimony.”) What warning is contained in this verse about teachings, or teachers, that contain some truth and some error? (The Bible warns us that those with “mixed truth” actually have “no light” at all. We are to avoid those teachings and practices that combine truth and error.)
Read John 16:16 and John 17:17. What is the role of the Holy Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit replace the Bible? (The Holy Spirit’s role is to lead us to understand the Bible, and empower us to obey the Bible. If we are looking for a spiritual experience with the Spirit outside of the Bible, we open ourselves up to the power of evil spirits.)

Apply It

Read Hebrews 4:12,13. What do these verses reveal about the authority of the Bible in our lives?

Share It

When the Bible reveals spiritual errors in our traditions, culture, reasoning, or experience, what should our response be? What makes responding correctly so difficult? What can make responding correctly easier?

Friday (April 24, 2020): The Scriptures a Safeguard

The Bible makes it clear that our only hope of remaining undeceived—indeed, our only hope of salvation—comes from believing and obeying the message contained between its covers. As Jesus said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24.)

Digging Deeper

Read the passages below and answer the questions that follow.

Read Psalm 119:99,104. If we want to understand what is really going on in this world, and how to survive it, what should we be studying? (The Bible!)
Psalm 1:1-6. How will “rooting” ourselves in the Bible help protect us spiritually? (It will keep us from being blown away like the chaff when the winds of trial and persecution and deception come.)
Jeremiah 17:8. What kind of “insurance” do we get by planting our lives on the Bible? (We will not be burnt by the heat or withered by the drought. Instead, we will “yield fruit” even in these hard times.)

Apply It

Read the passage below from the book The Great Controversy and discuss its relevance for us today:

We are living in the most solemn period of this world’s history. The destiny of earth’s teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue. We need to be guided by the Spirit of truth. Every follower of Christ should earnestly inquire: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” We need to humble ourselves before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to meditate much upon His word, especially upon the scenes of the judgment. We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We have not a moment to lose. Events of vital importance are taking place around us; we are on Satan’s enchanted ground. Sleep not, sentinels of God; the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment, should you become lax and drowsy, to spring upon you and make you his prey. {GC 601.1}

Share It

In what ways have you found the Bible to be a safeguard in your life? What experiences have you had that have demonstrated the value and importance of trusting in the Bible?

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Jesus and the Apostles' View of the Bible (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 3)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 00:00:01 -0500

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This study guide contains additional materials to accompany the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for the second quarter of 2020, titled How to Interpret Scripture. This Deeper Daily Bible Study develops the broad theme of studying and interpreting the Bible into some areas not covered by the Sabbath School Study Guide. While the general topic of each week’s set of lessons corresponds to the Study Guide topic for that week, the daily focus will vary at times from that guide. We hope that you will find this approach to be a valuable added resource in your Bible study.

The “Digging Deeper” section probes into the day’s topic, and illustrates the study principle or tool being discussed. Suggested answers, if included, are provided in parentheses. Sabbath School teachers will find this section especially helpful in the Sabbath School setting. The “Apply It” section gives the student an opportunity to apply the subject at hand to his/her own study of the Bible, and the “Share It” section provides an opportunity for those in group studies to discuss and share their response to the day’s theme.

Sabbath (April 11, 2020): Jesus and the Apostles’ View of the Bible

In this week’s lessons we will look at Jesus and the apostles’ view of the Bible. How did they understand and explain the authenticity and the importance of the Old Testament Scriptures? We will begin our study with an examination of the idea of present truth—the realization that God has a special and unique message for the current time. As Ellen White brought out in the statement below, understanding present truth is critical for God’s people today, just as it always has been:

I saw the necessity of the messengers, especially, watching and checking all fanaticism wherever they might see it rise. Satan is pressing in on every side, and unless we watch for him, and have our eyes open to his devices and snares, and have on the whole armor of God, the fiery darts of the wicked will hit us. There are many precious truths contained in the Word of God, but it is “present truth” that the flock needs now. I have seen the danger of the messengers running off from the important points of present truth, to dwell upon subjects that are not calculated to unite the flock and sanctify the soul. Satan will here take every possible advantage to injure the cause (Early Writings, 63).

Digging Deeper

A close reading of the gospels and the book of Acts reveals that Jesus and the early Christians realized that they were living in a time of fulfilled prophecy.

Read the passages below and summarize what Jesus says in each regarding the fulfillment of Scripture:

Mark 1:14,15. (Prophetic time had reached its fulfillment. Jesus was referring here especially to the 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27.)
Luke 4:17-21. (Jesus said that Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled that very day, in that very room.)
John 13:18 and 17:12. (Jesus revealed that Judas’ betrayal was a fulfillment of Scripture.)
John 19:28. (Jesus often did or said things specifically so that Scripture would be fulfilled.)

Read the passages below and summarize what the disciples/apostles said in each about Scripture being fulfilled in their day:
1. Mark 1:1-4. (John the Baptist’s ministry was a fulfillment of prophecy.)
2. Mark 15:28. (Christ’s crucifixion between two thieves was a fulfillment of prophecy.)
3. John 19:24. (The soldiers casting lots for Christ’s clothing was a fulfillment of prophecy.)
4. John 19:36. (The soldier thrusting a spear into Christ’s side was a fulfillment of prophecy.)
5. Acts 1:16. (The disciples realized that Judas’ death was a fulfillment of Scripture, and that Scripture also indicated that his place would be filled.)

Apply It

Read the following Bible verses and answer the questions that follow:

2 Peter 1:12. What does it mean to be “established in present truth”? Since all truth is important, why is being established in “present truth” so critical?
Hebrews 5:12-6:2. In what ways might this warning and admonition from the book of Hebrews apply to us today?

Share It

If we knew and believed Scripture as Jesus did, would we recognize more opportunities to do and say things that would, in some way, fulfill Bible prophecy?
In what ways has knowing the Bible’s message for today impacted how you live your life?

Sunday (April 12, 2020): It Is Written

Christ’s temptation in the wilderness was one of the greatest battle scenes in the great controversy between good and evil. We will never truly understand the force of the temptations that Satan brought against Jesus, nor will we ever completely grasp the eternal issues that were at stake on that dusty battlefield. What we can understand, however, is that Jesus won a tremendous victory for Himself, and for us, that day. As Ellen White wrote in the book Sons and Daughters of God:

The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. All the temptations of Satan, Christ met with the Word of God. By trusting in God’s promises, He received power to obey God’s commandments, and the tempter could gain no advantage (Sons and Daughters of God, 156).

Digging Deeper

Read Matthew 4:1-11. What impresses you most about Christ’s responses to temptation in the wilderness? (Answers will vary. Christ’s first response was to quote Scripture and claim its promises.) How was Christ’s response connected with the victory that He gained? (The Word of God is creative in its power—that is, it creates reality rather than simply describing what is already there. This is an important and powerful thing to remember when battling temptation—even if we can’t see a way out or through temptation, the power of God’s Word can set us free.)
Read Hebrews 2:16-18. Did Jesus suffer when He was tempted? (Yes!) What does that mean? (It must mean that He felt the full force of temptation, for He was “made like unto his brethren.”) What encouragement and hope should this give us? (Because He suffered through temptation and overcame, Jesus, as our High Priest, can now give us His power and strength to experience the same victory in our lives.)
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. What promise is given to us in this verse? (God promises that every temptation that He allows to come to us can be resisted with His help.) Are there temptations that we can bring on ourselves that we can’t be guaranteed of God’s help to withstand? (Answers will vary. It seems that presumptuous temptations—the ones we knowingly and willfully enter into—place us in great danger of falling into sin. God’s promises are for those who desire to do what is right. Compare 2 Peter 2:9, which says that the “godly” are delivered out of temptation.)

Apply It

Read the following statements from the books Sons and Daughters of God and The Desire of Ages. Discuss what Christ’s victory over sin means for us today.

Satan made stronger attacks upon Christ than he will ever make upon us. There was much at stake with him, whether Christ or himself should be conqueror. If Christ resisted his most powerful temptations, and Satan did not succeed in leading Him to sin, he knew that he must lose his power, and finally be punished with everlasting destruction. Therefore Satan worked with mighty power to lead Christ to do a wrong action, for then he would gain advantage over Him.... You can never be tempted in so determined and cruel manner as was our Saviour. Satan was upon His path every moment (Sons and Daughters of God, 156).

Will man take hold of divine power, and with determination and perseverance resist Satan, as Christ has given him example in His conflict with the foe in the wilderness of temptation? God cannot save man against his will from the power of Satan’s artifices. Man must work with his human power, aided by the divine power of Christ, to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man must overcome as Christ overcame. And then, through the victory that it is his privilege to gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become an heir of God and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. This could not be the case if Christ alone did all the overcoming. Man must do his part; he must be victor on his own account, through the strength and grace that Christ gives him. Man must be a co-worker with Christ in the labor of overcoming, and then he will be partaker with Christ in His glory (Sons and Daughters of God, 156).

The prince of this world cometh,” said Jesus, “and hath nothing in Me.” John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan’s sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character (The Desire of Ages, 123).

Share It

Is there an example that you are willing to share of a time when you experienced God’s power to deliver you from temptation? How did that experience impact your trust in God’s Word, and your confidence in God’s love for you?

Monday (April 13, 2020): Jesus and the Law

Jesus was very clear that He had not come to do away with God’s law, or to make it of none effect. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said,

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:17-20).

In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at Christ’s relationship to the law of God, and to the concept of law in general.

Digging Deeper

Read each passage below and discuss what each one reveals about Christ’s attitude toward, and relationship with, the concept of law:

Matthew 8:1-4. What did Jesus instruct the healed leper to do? (Go and present himself to the priest, as required by the law of Moses.) Why did Jesus do this? (Jesus did this to uphold the authority of the Old Testament laws that He Himself had given, and also to give the healed leper a chance to be declared clean before word reached them that Jesus was the source of healing.)
Matthew 22:17-21. What did this conversation reveal about Christ’s attitude toward the authority of human laws? (As long as they don’t conflict with one’s ability to worship and serve God, human laws should be obeyed.)
Matthew 22:37-40. What does Jesus reveal here as the foundation of God’s divine law? (It is an expression of love.) Although He doesn’t explicitly mention the Ten Commandments here, how does Jesus show that they, too, are an expression of love? (The first four commandments show our love for God, while the last six show our love for other people.)

Apply It

Read Revelation 12:17; 14:12; 22:14. What do these passages reveal about the importance of the law of God at the end of time? What do they reveal about how God’s servants at the end of time will view God’s law?
Read Hebrews 8:10; 10:16. Where does God promise to write His law? What does this promise mean in connection with the statements below from the book The Great Controversy?

Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. …It is only as the law of God is restored to its rightful position that there can be a revival of primitive faith and godliness among His professed people (The Great Controversy, pp. 464, 478).

Share It

What does God’s promise that He wants to write His law in your mind and heart mean to you? What does this reveal about God’s character?

Tuesday (April 14, 2020): Jesus and All Scripture

The gospels make it clear that Jesus both believed in, and taught, all of Scripture, which was, of course, the Old Testament in His time. In today’s lesson we will look at why this was significant for His disciples and the early Christians, and why it is important for us, too.

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 24:27 and John 5:39. According to Jesus, what is the focus of “all the scriptures”? (He said all Scripture testifies of Himself.) In what ways is this true? (The Old Testament contains numerous explicit prophecies that were fulfilled in the life, work, and character of the Messiah. These books also contain many allusions and types that point to Jesus Christ.)

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. 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. Through the teachings of the sacrificial service, Christ was to be uplifted before all nations, and all who would look to Him should live. Christ was the foundation of the Jewish economy. The whole system of types and symbols was a compacted prophecy of the gospel, a presentation in which were bound up the promises of redemption. {AA 14.1}

Read Luke 24:44,45. What categories of Old Testament Scripture does Christ reference in this passage? (The law, the prophets, and the psalms. The “law” refers to the Torah, or the first five books written by Moses. The “prophets” refers to prophetic writings found throughout the Old Testament, and the “psalms,” of course, points to the Old Testament book that bears that name.

The Saviour had not come to set aside what patriarchs and prophets had spoken; for He Himself had spoken through these representative men. All the truths of God’s word came from Him. But these priceless gems had been placed in false settings. Their precious light had been made to minister to error. God desired them to be removed from their settings of error and replaced in the framework of truth. This work only a divine hand could accomplish. By its connection with error, the truth had been serving the cause of the enemy of God and man. Christ had come to place it where it would glorify God, and work the salvation of humanity. {DA 287.4}

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

Revelation 12:17; 19:10. For what are God’s people persecuted at the end of time? (They are persecuted for believing what Jesus did—that “all Scripture” is the Word of God and should be followed. Specifically, they are persecuted for keeping the commandments of God, or the “law,” and the testimony of Jesus, which is the “spirit of prophecy.” In other words, they believe in the law and the prophets as Jesus did.)

Read the passage below and summarize why it will be so essential for God’s people to believe and follow “all scripture” at the end of time:

Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief. {GC 625.3}

Share It

How has your study of the Bible taken on new depth as you find Jesus “hidden” in unexpected passages of Scripture?
In what ways is “all scripture”—not just individual doctrines here and there—being attacked by the world today? What should this tell us about the nearness of Christ’s coming? What challenge does this present to those who desire to live in accordance with God’s Word?

Wednesday (April 15, 2020): Jesus and the Origin and History of the Bible

Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus consistently upheld the historical authenticity of the Bible. On different occasions He referred to God’s creation of the world (Mark 10:6-8), Abel’s death (Luke 11:51), Noah and the flood (Matthew 24:38), and the great famine during Elijah’s life (Luke 4:25-27). In today’s study we will take a closer look at Christ’s historical references in the context of His statements about end-time events.

Digging Deeper

Read the Bible passages below. What Old Testament person or event is Jesus referring to, and what is the lesson He is drawing?

Matthew 10:14,15. (Jesus is warning first, that there is a judgment, and second, that those who reject God’s messengers will suffer worse in the judgment than did Sodom and Gomorrah at their destruction.)
Matthew 24:36-41. (Jesus is warning that His second coming will take many people unawares just as the flood surprised most of earth’s inhabitants in the time of Noah’s flood.)
Luke 17:28-32. (Jesus is warning that many people will be so tied to other things in life that they, like Lot’s wife, will be unable to separate from them even in a time of crisis.)
Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20. (Jesus is warning that “the abomination of desolation” will be a great time of persecution and trouble for God’s people, as warned about by the prophet Daniel.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read the verses below and summarize what each one says about how we should live our lives today:

Revelation 14:7 and 1 John 4:17. How should we seek to be living since this is the time of God’s judgment?
Matthew 24:42-51. What advice does Jesus give to us so that we will not be caught unprepared for the second coming?
Revelation 18:1-4. What is God’s call to all people on earth at the end of time? Why is it so important to “come out of Babylon”?)
Daniel 12:1. What promise do we have regarding God’s care and protection at the end of time?

Share It

Which of Christ’s allusions to Old Testament characters referenced above speaks to you the most forcefully? Why do you think Jesus refers to these stories, rather than just state His warnings?

Thursday (April 16, 2020): The Apostles and the Bible

The apostles, like Jesus Christ, upheld the authenticity and authority of the Old Testament as the Word of God (see, for example Acts 4:24-26, Romans 9:17, and Galatians 3:8). Like Jesus, they quoted freely from the Old Testament writers, and made numerous references to the stories and prophecies found in Scripture. In today’s lesson we will take a deeper look at the impact that their faith in Scripture had in their lives.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and summarize the impact that the apostles’ trust in Scripture—and, of course, their faith in Jesus Christ—had in their lives:

Acts 1:15-26. (They took action based on the prophecies in Scripture.)
Acts 4:13,19,20 and 1 Corinthians 1:27. (They were given wisdom, eloquence, and boldness when testifying of their faith.)
Acts 6:1-4. (They were able to effectively prioritize their time and activities.)
Revelation 1:9. (They were willing to suffer persecution for the sake of God’s Word.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

Proverbs 22:3. What will we do in response to Bible prophecy if we truly believe it?
Luke 21:12-15. What promise does Jesus give to us regarding our ability to witness for Him when we are placed in trying circumstances?
Romans 13:11-14. What will a Christian’s life look like, especially in terms of priorities, when he or she is “awake”?
Matthew 5:10-12. How can persecution be a blessing? Does this promise apply personally and corporately? If so, how?

Share It

What evidence have you seen personally that Scripture truly is God’s Word? In what way(s) have you found its promises to be true in your life?
What does Christ’s promise in Luke 21:12-15 mean to you? Does this mean that we don’t need to worry about studying and preparing to share our faith? Why or why not?

Friday (April 17, 2020): The Relevance of Present Truth

We began our studies this week by looking at the concept of present truth. Today, we will conclude this week’s lessons by looking at the relevance of present truth for us today.

Digging Deeper

The Bible provides a number of important characteristics of present truth. Read the following passages and summarize the characteristic(s) given in each:

Luke 18:31-34; 19:11-27. (Present truth always focuses on what Jesus is doing now, or what He is about to do.)
Acts 1:4,5. (Present truth always reveals the duty of God’s people now.)
Acts 1:6,7. (Present truth does not get sidetracked on interesting yet nonessential questions.)
Acts 1:8. (Present truth prepares and enables God’s people to receive the power of the Holy Spirit for more effective evangelism.)
Acts 1:9. (There is always a window of time in which present truth must be heard, understood, and applied.)

Apply It

Read Revelation 14:6-12. Seventh-day Adventists have long understood their mission to be the proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages. What does this mean, and what is included in this message?
Read the following statement from Ellen White in the book Evangelism, and discuss what the challenge in the final sentence means to you:

In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light-bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the Word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import,—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention. {Ev 119.3}

Share It

What present truths are most important for the world to hear right now? What messages do you think the world most wants to hear right now?
What can you, your family, and your church do to share present truth more effectively and efficiently?

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The Origin and Nature of the Bible (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 2)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 4 Apr 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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This study guide contains additional materials to accompany the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for the second quarter of 2020, titled How to Interpret Scripture. The Deeper Daily Bible Study develops the broad theme of studying and interpreting the Bible into some areas not covered by the Sabbath School Study Guide. While the general topic of each week’s set of lessons corresponds to the Study Guide topic for that week, the daily focus will vary at times from the Study Guide. We hope that you will find this approach to be a valuable added resource in your Bible study.

The “Digging Deeper” section probes into the day’s topic, and illustrates the study principle or tool being discussed. Suggested answers, if included, are provided in parentheses. Sabbath School teachers will find this section especially helpful in the Sabbath School setting. The “Apply It” section gives the student an opportunity to apply the subject at hand to his/her own study of the Bible, and the “Share It” section provides an opportunity for those in group studies to discuss and share their response to the day’s theme.

The Origin and Nature of the Bible

In this week’s set of lessons we will be looking at the origin and nature of the Bible. Understanding the process of inspiration is important, and we will examine that. Understanding the purpose of inspiration is even more important, and we will devote the majority of our lessons to looking at some of those purposes—perceiving God’s voice, His presence, His power, and His promises. As we will see, all of these are revealed in the Bible! The two statements below from the book The Great Controversy explain well the importance of recognizing the divine origin of the Bible:

[T]he 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. (The Great Controversy, v.4).

In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience. “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, R.V. (The Great Controversy, vii.1).

Digging Deeper

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13. What does this verse reveal about the origin and source of the Bible? (It is divine and supernatural.) If we recognize the Bible as God’s word to us, what practical ramifications should that have for us as we read it and study it? (Answers will vary. We should approach the Bible with reverence, respect, and awe, rather than with criticism, doubt, and suspicion.)
Read 2 Timothy 3:15. According to this verse, what is the purpose of the Bible? (The purpose of the Bible is to make us wise unto salvation and to plant and grow faith within us.)
Read John 17:17. What did Jesus say about the nature and the trustworthiness of the Bible? (Jesus said that it is the truth.) Why is this so important, especially in today’s post-modern culture? (Many people today are attracted to the idea that there is no absolute truth, and that they are free to determine the “truth” that works for them best. Jesus, however, indicated that the Bible contains God’s authoritative and unchangeable truth.)
Read Deuteronomy 32:45-47 and John 12:48-50. What do both of these passages reveal regarding our response to what we read and hear from the Bible? (The Bible is not just a book with history, poetry, prophecy, etc. It reveals how we should live our lives.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

Exodus 20:1,18-21. Compare Israel’s reaction to God’s voice and His words with that of most people today. What makes the difference? Even if God’s thunder and lightning are not present as we study the Bible, what can help us to maintain an attitude of reverence and respect when we open the Bible?
Hebrews 11:3,6. What role does faith play in our understanding of the Bible? Why is faith so essential to the plan of salvation?
John 7:17. What did Jesus say we need to do in order to truly understand the Bible and determine if it is true?
James 1:22. What does it mean to be a “doer of the word”?

Share It

For what reasons is it so important that God has given us a written record of sacred history, prophecy, etc.?

The Process of Inspiration

Protestant Christians have traditionally held one of three views regarding the process of inspiration:

Proponents of verbal inspiration believe that God essentially chose the exact words used by the Bible authors, and used the human being as a sort of writing instrument to record verbatim the message given to them. Those who support this view often emphasize the infallibility of Scripture and see every detail of its writing as being without error or mistake. As a result, the human elements in the inspiration process are often minimized or even ignored completely.
Proponents of thought inspiration believe that God inspired the Bible authors with specific thoughts, but left them free to choose the exact words, the writing style, etc., as they wrote those thoughts down. Those who support this view sometimes suggest that while the thoughts given by God are without error, the words and language chosen by the human author can be prone to error. As a result, the divine authority inherent in Scripture can be jeopardized as it lies in the hands of the reader to decide which words of the author may be less than fully inspired.
Proponents of plenary inspiration seek to balance the divine and human factors in the process of inspiration and preserve the integrity of each. Those who support this view emphasize the importance of recognizing the Holy Spirit as the ultimate Author of all Scripture, while recognizing the distinctive background and characteristics of the human authors.

The following paragraphs written by Ellen White provide some helpful insights into the process of inspiration:

The Scriptures were given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, but piece by piece through successive generations, as God in His providences saw a fitting opportunity to impress man at sundry times and divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost. There is “first the bud, then the blossom, and next the fruit,” “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” [Mark 4:28.] This is exactly what the Bible utterances are to us (Manuscript 24, 1886, par. 4).

The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God’s mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers (Manuscript 24, 1886, par. 9).

It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man’s words or his expressions, but on the man himself, who under the influence of the Holy Ghost is imbued with thoughts. But the words and thoughts receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the Word of God (Manuscript 24, 1886, par. 10).

Digging Deeper

Read 2 Peter 1:20,21. What does this passage reveal about the origin of the Bible? (Men wrote it as the Holy Spirit moved them.) What does this mean? (At some level, the process of inspiration will always remain a mystery to us, just as the process of the incarnation will always remain a mystery. However, the Bible assures us that God is the ultimate Author of Scripture as He used men to write the words. The statement below from the book The Great Controversy is helpful in understanding how this happened.)

The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all “given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought in human language (The Great Controversy, v.3).

Read 2 Timothy 3:16,17. How much of the Bible is inspired by God? (All of it!) What does that imply? (All of the Bible is important, and we are not at liberty to pick and choose which passages, doctrines, or teachings we like and which ones we want to ignore. The statement below from the book Selected Messages, vol. 1, emphasizes the importance of recognizing the divine origin of the Bible.)

God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do His work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, none the less, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth (Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 26).

Read Joshua 10:13 and Luke 1:1-3. What was part of the process that Luke and the author of Joshua engaged in when writing their books? (They researched existing historical writings that shed light on the subject at hand.) Does this make their writings less inspired or less authoritative than other parts of the Bible that may have been directly inspired by God, perhaps through a dream or vision? (Of course not! As 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…”)
Read 1 Corinthians 14:32,33. What does this passage reveal about the unity of Scripture and God’s method of progressive revelation from age to age? (Every teaching of Scripture harmonizes with the Bible as a whole. The Holy Spirit’s inspiration of one man later in history does not conflict with what was revealed earlier in history.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

John 1:1-3. By referring to Jesus Christ as the Word, what insight does this passage reveal into the process of inspiration?
John 16:13,14. What was Jesus referring to when He said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into “all truth”?
Romans 15:4. What lessons can we learn from sacred—and secular—history that can give us comfort and education?
Proverbs 4:18. What does this verse suggest about the idea of “new light” that God may reveal to His people after the Bible was written? How will any “new light” relate to the previous inspired writings that God has given?

Share It

How can we trust in the authenticity of the Bible as an inspired book even if we don’t fully understand the process of inspiration that God used to write it?
What lessons from Old Testament stories have you learned about living your life today?

Perceiving God’s Voice

Shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus was speaking to people in the temple when a voice spoke from heaven. Some of the people listening believed that an angel had spoken to Jesus, while others only heard thunder (John 12:28,29). How tragic that, even as God’s voice was speaking from heaven, most people didn’t recognize it!

Since the Bible is God’s message to us, we should expect to hear His voice as we read and listen to the words of the Bible. Imagine the excitement and joy we would experience every day in studying the Bible if we recognized God speaking to us personally. However, this is often not the case, and because we frequently fail to perceive God’s voice in the Bible, its study too often becomes dry and uninteresting. In today’s lesson we will look at some of the reasons why we often fail to discern God’s voice in His Word. More importantly, we will discover secrets to hearing His voice in our study of the Bible.

Digging Deeper

The passages below reveal some of the primary reasons why we often fail to perceive God’s voice in the Bible. Read each passage and answer the questions that follow:

Isaiah 59:1-2 and Psalm 19:12-13. What effect does sin have on our relationship with God, and our ability to hear His voice? (Sin always separates us from God. If there is known sin in our lives that we refuse to confess or deal with, this will prevent us from perceiving God’s voice as we study the Bible.) What two kinds of sins do we need to be cleansed of so that we can perceive God’s voice to us in the Bible? (Known or presumptuous sins, and hidden sins that we might not even be aware of.)

But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {DA 126.1}

Mark 4:11,12. What did Jesus say about many of the people that heard His parables? Why were they unable to recognize the truths that He was sharing? (An unwillingness to be changed or converted can leave us unable to perceive or understand God’s voice.)
Mark 10:38-40. What was Martha’s mistake that left her unable to listen to Christ’s words? (Misplaced priorities—even with good things such as doing God’s work—can leave us so busy and preoccupied that we fail to sit at Jesus’s feet and listen to His words.)
John 9:39-41. What tragic mistake did many of the Pharisees in Christ’s day make that left them unable to perceive the truth? (They believed that they already knew all they needed to, and had the religious experience they needed.)

Apply It

The Bible contains valuable advice for us regarding how we can better perceive God’s voice, both in our study of the Bible and in our lives in general. Read the passages below and summarize the advice given in each one:

John 10:1-5,16.
John 12:47.
John 12:49,50.
Psalm 46:10.

Share It

Have you had an experience where you knew that God was speaking to you? What impact did that experience have on you?
What keys for hearing and recognizing God’s voice—whether connected to Bible study or not—have you learned in your life?
What dangers might we open ourselves up to if we are “listening for God’s voice” and yet, at the same time, not looking in the Bible for His message to us?

Perceiving God’s Presence

One of the most important keys to effective and life-changing Bible study is to search for God’s presence in our study. We have already seen the close parallels between Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Bible, the written word of God. As we read and study this word, it is our privilege to invite and recognize—in its pages, and in our life—the presence of the resurrected Word of God through the Holy Spirit. This is far different from the subjective, experientially based mystical practices overrunning Christianity today. Instead, it is a connection with our living Savior through time spent with Him in His words to us. Asking for and recognizing the presence of the Holy Spirit during our Bible study is essential:

We must establish an unyielding enmity between our souls and our foe; but we must open our hearts to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.... We want to become so sensitive to holy influences, that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls, till He is in us, and we in Him, living by the faith of the Son of God (Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 355).

In this lesson we will look at some of the Bible’s keys for recognizing God’s presence as we study the Bible.

Digging Deeper

Read John 14:16-17 and 16:7. Through what Agency has God chosen to reveal His presence with us? (The Holy Spirit. When we talk about perceiving God’s presence, we are really talking about perceiving the Holy Spirit’s presence.)
Read John 16:7. What name did Jesus give the Holy Spirit in this verse? (The Comforter.) Why would He be such a comfort to the disciples? (Jesus had just explained that He was about to leave them, and the Holy Spirit would enable the lonely disciples to experience Christ’s presence.) How can we realize this promise through our Bible study? (When we feel God’s comfort, peace, and love through the words of Scripture, this is evidence that the Holy Spirit is present.)
Read John 16:8-11. What does the Holy Spirit convict us of? (Sin and righteousness and judgment. When we are reading and studying the Bible and become convicted of our sin, of the need for Christ’s righteousness, and of the urgency of obtaining this experience because we live in the Day of Judgment, then this is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence. Keeping these three foci of Bible study in mind will allow us to be sensitive to God’s presence as we spend time in His Word.)
Read Acts 1:8. What did Jesus say would result for the disciples when they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? (They would receive power and would be witnesses of Christ.) How might Christ’s promise apply to us today as we seek to perceive His presence in Bible study? (Answers will vary. There are many ways in which Bible study can convict us of God’s power, and any time that Bible study leads us to feel a burden for others’ salvation, or to share the gospel and the Three Angels’ Messages, this is evidence that the Holy Spirit is present.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

Matthew 18:20 and Acts 1:14. In what ways is the promise of the Holy Spirit intended for each individual believer? In what ways is this promise intended for the church corporately?
Matthew 11:28-30. For what reasons does God’s rest reveal His presence?
Leviticus 16:29-30 and 1 John 4:17. What do these verses say regarding how we should be living in the Day of Judgment? Why is the assurance of Christ’s presence with us so important in the time of judgment?
Matthew 28:19,20. Why did Christ conclude the “great commission” with the promise of His presence? Is there any other way that this mission could be accomplished?

Share It

Why do you think God so often chooses to reveal His presence in the quiet moments of life, rather than in the midst of commotion and activity? Or is it just that we are more open to the Holy Spirit’s presence when we pause in life?
How have you experienced God’s presence in a special way on His day of rest, the seventh-day Sabbath?

Perceiving God’s Power

One of the first things the Bible reveals about God is His infinite and divine power. Genesis 1 records how God created this world simply by speaking things into existence. Like me, perhaps you have at times wished you could have witnessed this incredible power of God during creation week! We can’t do that, of course, but we can experience God’s power in our lives today as we read and study His word. As the apostle Paul stated, the gospel reveals “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; …for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16,17). The same power of divinity revealed at creation is also revealed today in every changed life, and in every temptation overcome. Let’s dive deeper into the Bible’s amazing statements about God’s power, and what that means for us today!

Digging Deeper

Read Genesis 1:3,6,9,14,15,24. What do these opening verses in the Bible reveal about the power of God’s Word? (God’s Word contains divine creative power. Whereas our words can only describe what already exists, God’s words bring things into existence.) What should this realization do for us as we open the Bible to read and study it? (We should approach this Book with reverence, awe, and faith that the things we read are, or can become, reality in our lives. Compare Hebrews 11:1,3.)
Read Isaiah 46:9,10. What is another evidence in the Bible of God’s power? (Fulfilled prophecy reveals God’s wisdom and power to predict future events.)
Read Matthew 28:18 and Philippians 2:5-11. Why was Jesus given “all power…in heaven and in earth”? (Jesus was given all power because of His life of self-surrender, His death, and His resurrection.) How important is it for us to remember that our Savior is not still on the cross or in the tomb, but He is alive today and working for us in heaven? (It’s extremely important! It makes the difference between a theoretical knowledge of the Bible and a living faith that transforms lives.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read the verses below and summarize what each one says about God’s power:

Verses that reveal God’s power over sin and temptation:
- 1 Corinthians 10:13.
- Jude 24.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Verses that reveal God’s prophetic power:
- Isaiah 53.
- Daniel 2:36-45.
- Daniel 7:25; Revelation 11:2; 12:6,14; 13:5.
Verses that reveal Christ’s power as our High Priest in heaven:
- John 14:13.
- Hebrews 8:10.
- Hebrews 9:13,14.

Share It

In what ways have you experienced God’s power over sin and temptation in your life?
What fulfilled Bible prophecies reveal God’s power to you the most clearly? Why?
What comfort does it give you to know that Jesus continues to serve as our High Priest in heaven?

Participating in God’s Promises

The Bible is full of promises that address every situation and emotion in which we might find ourselves. God’s power is locked up in these promises, and is offered freely to all who claim them in faith. However, experiencing the full potential of God’s promises to us can be a challenge, and it is something that we often fail to completely experience. One reason for this is explained in the passage below from the book The Desire of Ages:

The nobleman wanted to see the fulfillment of his prayer before he should believe; but he had to accept the word of Jesus that his request was heard and the blessing granted. This lesson we also have to learn. Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We are to trust in His promises. When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are answered. God will do for us “exceeding abundantly,” “according to the riches of His glory,” and “the working of His mighty power.” Ephesians 3:20, 16; 1:19. (The Desire of Ages, 200).

In this lesson we will look more closely at the Bible’s secrets for claiming and experiencing the power of God’s many promises.

Digging Deeper

Read 2 Peter 1:4. What purpose does God intend for the Bible’s promises to have in our lives? (They are to help us be partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.)
Read 2 Corinthians 7:1. What do God’s promises give us power to experience in our lives? (They can cleanse us from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and make us holy.) What does the cleansing of our “flesh” and “spirit” refer to? (The “flesh” points to our outward words and actions, while the “spirit” points to the hidden thoughts and motives of the mind and heart. God wants all of us cleansed from sin and controlled by His Spirit.)
Read Isaiah 55:10,11. What do these verses compare God’s promises to? (They compare God’s promises to the rain and snow that give life to the plants and make them bear fruit.) In order to grow and live, what must a plant do with the water that flows past its roots? (In order to benefit from the water at its roots, a plant must absorb that water, draw it up through all parts of its organism, and incorporate it into its cells.) What lesson can be drawn about how the Bible’s promises become reality in our lives? (We must do the same. We must “absorb” God’s promises by memorizing them, draw them into every aspect and experience of our lives, and incorporate them into even the smallest problems and trials that come our way. By doing these we become “doers of the word” and learn to trust in God.)
Read Joshua 3:14-17. At what point did God fulfill His promise to open a way through the Jordan River? (When the priest’s feet touched the water’s edge.) Why didn’t God stop the river before they stepped into it? (This would not have built their faith. God’s promises are intended primarily to build our faith, not just to provide a mechanism for God to showcase His power and wisdom.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

1 Peter 1:16 and Hebrews 1:9. What do these verses reveal about God’s divine nature, and about His goal for you in the plan of salvation?
Ephesians 5:25-27. What do these verses imply about the relationship that God’s people at the end of time will have with His promises?
Psalm 1. What does this Psalm, and verse 3 in particular, promise for those who grow in faith in God’s promises? What does verse 5 reveal about the importance of this experience for those who will “stand in the judgment”?
Romans 8:1-4 and 1 John 4:17. What is promised in these verses? In what sense do these promises (like so many promises in the Bible) require some measure of participation on our part, just as the priest’s feet had to touch the Jordan River before it parted?

Select five promises you have never memorized and commit them to memory. When you confront a temptation or problem in life, pray these promises back to God and thank Him for making them a reality in your life. After you have prayed, act in faith based on the promise.

Share It

What is the easiest part of believing in God’s promises?
What is the most difficult part of believing in God’s promises?
What testimony can you share about how the Bible’s promises have helped you or someone you know overcome sin and experience life lived in God’s power?

Praising God

Praising God is one of the most important activities a Christian can engage in, yet it is far too often something that we fail to do. There are many blessings and benefits that come from an attitude of praise, and they exceed just the emotional and mental health that comes from a positive outlook. As the following statement from the book That I May Know Him reveals, praising God has a direct impact on our character:

Mercy and truth have met together in Christ, and righteousness and peace have embraced each other. It is when you are looking to His throne, offering up your penitence and praise and thanksgiving to God, that you perfect Christian character, and represent Christ to the world. You abide in Christ and Christ abides in you (That I May Know Him, 117).

The ability to praise God, especially when life hits a rough patch, is a skill and a habit that Christians are obliged to learn. It comes with practice, and, like so many things in life, it becomes easier the more we do it. Praise is important for individuals as well as families (and churches) to practice, for it can even chase away the forces of darkness that seek to separate us from Christ:

If you sit in heavenly places with Christ, you cannot refrain from praising God. Begin to educate your tongues to praise Him and train your hearts to make melody to God; and when the evil one begins to settle his gloom about you, sing praise to God. When things go crossways at your homes, strike up a song about the matchless charms of the Son of God, and I tell you, when you touch this strain, Satan will leave you. You can drive out the enemy with his gloom; ... and you can see, oh, so much clearer, the love and compassion of your heavenly Father (In Heavenly Places, 95).

In this lesson we will investigate a few of the many reasons that we should praise God.

Digging Deeper

The Bible reveals many reasons for which we should praise God. Read the following passages and summarize the reason(s) given in each:

Psalm 148:4,5. (We praise God because He is the Creator.)
Revelation 5:11,12. (We praise God for the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.)
Revelation 11:17. (We praise God for His great power and for the fact that He reigns as King.)
1 Peter 2:9. (This verse actually contains four reasons to praise God: He has chosen His people, made them a royal priesthood, made them a holy nation, and identified them as belonging to Him.)
2 Chronicles 7:6. (We praise God because His mercy endures forever.)

Apply It

In the “Digging Deeper” section above, we discovered at least five reasons that the Bible instructs us to praise God—because He is Creator, because He is Savior, because He is King, because He has called His people to be a holy nation, and because His mercy endures forever. Read the passages below and search for one or more of these reasons (or other reasons!) to praise God in each:

Job 1:6-12.
Job 41:7-17.
Isaiah 53.
Luke 12:22-34.
Acts 5:1-11.
Ephesians 4:11-16.
Revelation 18.

Share It

What have you already praised God for today?
What should you have praised God for today that you have not yet praised Him for?
What blessings have you experienced in your life that have come from an attitude of praising God?

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The Uniqueness of the Bible (2020, Quarter 2, Lesson 1)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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The “Digging Deeper” section probes into the day’s topic, and illustrates the study principle or tool being discussed. Suggested answers, if included, are provided in parentheses. Sabbath School teachers will find this section especially helpful in the Sabbath School setting. The “Apply It” section gives the student an opportunity to apply the subject at hand to his/her own study of the Bible, and the “Share It” section provides an opportunity for those in group studies to discuss and share their response to the day’s theme.

The Uniqueness of the Bible

The world’s most famous and best-loved book, the Bible, was written by more than 40 authors from three continents over a period of more than 1,500 years. The authors include kings, fishermen, prophets, shepherds, and statesmen. Portions of the Bible, such as the New Testament epistles, were written down before they were read. Other sections, such as the stories in the book of Genesis, contain history that was passed down orally for centuries before finally being captured in written form. The Bible contains many kinds of literature, such as genealogies, prophecies, laws, epistles or letters, parables, poetry, and history. In spite of this diversity of writing styles, its 66 books form a cohesive and organic whole.

Although people have studied the Bible for centuries, its message remains fresh and relevant to each new generation of scholars and students. Although its core message of the plan of salvation transcends time and space, the power behind that message continues to captivate and convict individual human hearts. Millions of people have found Bible study to be a fascinating, rewarding, and life-changing pursuit, and you can too! As the book Steps to Christ points out,

The Bible is our rule of faith and doctrine. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts or give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose that are rarely seen in these times (Steps to Christ, 90).

Digging Deeper

The apostle Peter’s second letter, or epistle, to the early Christian church opens with an explanation of several ways in which the Bible is unique and important. Read the passages below and write down, or discuss, what each one reveals about the uniqueness of the Bible:

2 Peter 1:3,4. (The Bible contains “great and precious promises” that, when claimed in faith, enable God to make us “partakers of the divine nature.”)
2 Peter 1:16. (The Bible records eyewitness accounts of the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.)
2 Peter 1:19. (The Bible includes prophecies that have reveal God’s interaction with humanity through history, and reveal important truths for us today.)
2 Peter 1:20,21. (Men under the influence of the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, and therefore it reveals the thoughts of God.)

Apply It

Below are three of the Bible’s many hundreds of promises. What does each one mean to you, and why?
- Isaiah 41:10.
- Matthew 11:28-30.
- Romans 8:28.
Read Romans 1:16,17. What practical difference does God intend the gospel to make in our lives?
The Bible contains many prophecies about Jesus Christ’s second coming. Read the prophecies below, and summarize what they say about this great event:
- Matthew 24:30,31.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17.
- Revelation 6:14-17.
Read Matthew 12:31. Since the Bible was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost), what does this verse reveal about the importance of reading, studying, and obeying the Bible’s instructions?

Share It

What type(s) of Bible literature have you found to be the most interesting, and why?
In what ways has studying the Bible made a difference in your life, or in the life of someone you know?
How significant is it to you that the gospels contain a firsthand, eyewitness account of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry? Does this make a difference in the Bible’s trustworthiness?

The Bible’s Claims About Itself

What if you discovered a “magic pill” that is sweeter than honey, improves eyesight, improves cognitive function, raises the IQ, levels out unstable emotions, and is clinically proven to produce peace? Better yet, what if this pill were free and, quite possibly, already sitting in your home? Would you take this pill daily? Of course! The Bible does all of these things, and more—it shows the way to eternal life. Like our imaginary “magic pill,” the Bible is already sitting on many people’s shelves at home. And if it can’t be found there, it is only a few clicks away on the Internet, available in literally dozens of versions. Let’s take a closer look at some of the amazing claims the Bible makes about itself.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and summarize what each one reveals about the purpose of the Bible:

2 Timothy 3:16. (The Bible contains God’s thoughts and is of great spiritual value.)
Hebrews 4:12. (The Bible helps us understand our hidden thoughts and motives.)
Romans 15:14. (The Bible contains instructions for living life, not just interesting stories from the past.)
Isaiah 55:11. (The Bible is God’s tool to accomplish His will in our lives.)
John 5:39. (Both the Old and New Testaments reveal Jesus Christ.)
2 Peter 1:21. (The Bible does not contain human views or opinions.)
Isaiah 40:8. (The Word of God will last forever.)

Apply It

The following verses relate by number to the Bible passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. After each verse give your answer to the question that follows:

Read Jeremiah 29:11. What does this verse reveal about God’s thoughts toward us?
Read Jeremiah 17:9. Why is it so important to receive the Bible’s help in understanding our hidden thoughts and motives?
Reads 1 Corinthians 10:11. For which generation especially was the Bible and its advice on living life given?
Read Romans 11:27. What is God’s will for our lives?
Read Matthew 1:21. What was Jesus Christ’s mission in coming to this world?
Read 1 Corinthians 3:19. Why is it so important that we not rely on human wisdom in regards to spiritual things?
Read Psalm 103:15. Why is it important for us as human beings to rely on God’s Word, which lasts forever?

Share It

What, that you are willing to share, has the Bible revealed to you about yourself recently? How has this revelation improved your life?
Is it comforting to you to realize that the Bible contains God’s thoughts rather than human ideas, opinions, and viewpoints? Why?
What, for you, is the strongest reason to believe in the authenticity of the Bible as the Word of God?

The Living Word of God

One of the Bible’s most important claims is that it gives spiritual life, and promises eternal life, to those who accept it and order their lives after its instructions and principles. As Revelation 1:3 states, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” The promise given here for the reading of the book of Revelation applies with equal force to the entire Bible. Shortly before his death, Moses impressed this same point upon the children of Israel, who were—finally—about to enter Canaan:

And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel: And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it (Deuteronomy 32:45-47).

Digging Deeper

The Bible, as we have seen, contains the Word of God that can give us spiritual life. The Bible claims that its words are alive and contain the power of spiritual growth. Read the following passages and summarize what each one teaches about the power of the living Word of God:

Mark 4:3-8, 14. (God plants His Word in human hearts like a farmer sows seed in the ground.)
John 15:1-4. (We are connected to Jesus through faith in His Word. The result of this union is that we bear spiritual fruit.)
1 Peter 2:2. (Like a baby needs its mother’s milk, we grow as Christians through the nourishment of the Bible.)
Mark 4:26-29. (The kingdom of God and the entire plan of salvation is compared to seeds growing toward maturity and harvest.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

Read Mark 4:13-20. In the parable of the sower, what makes the difference between whether the Word of God grows in a person’s heart or not? What are some of the specific reasons that the Word may fail to grow?
Read Galatians 5:22,23. What are the fruits of the Spirit that will appear in a person’s life when God’s Word grows in them?
Read Hebrews 5:11-6:3. What is the main point of this passage? What does it reveal about the importance of continuing to grow in our study and understanding of God’s Word?
Read Revelation 14:14-20. What does this passage reveal about the “harvest of the earth” at the end of time? How many “harvests,” and how many groups of people, will there be when Jesus comes back?

Share It

Have you ever struggled with some of the hindrances toward spiritual growth that Jesus mentioned in the parable of the sower? How have you experienced victory over these things?
Why are the fruits of the Spirit such a convincing and powerful evidence of God’s work in a person’s life? Can these fruits be faked?
By using the metaphor of “milk” and “meat” in a person’s spiritual growth, the passage in Hebrews highlights how Bible truth builds on itself the longer we study God’s Word. Why is this important to remember? Would it be confusing or dangerous if Bible doctrines and prophecies were not connected to each other in a logical and understandable way? What does this metaphor imply about our spiritual condition if we still only understand and experience Christianity as we did the day we were baptized?

The Importance of Bible Study

The Word of God, of course, contains much advice for living life. Included in this instruction is the invitation—and the command—to study the Bible. Consider, for example, Isaiah’s counsel to “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read” (Isaiah 34:16). The same verse continues with a promise that “no one of these [who study the Bible] shall fail.” Isaiah’s counsel was given in the context of judgments being pronounced on the nations, but we don’t have to be facing such dangerous and drastic circumstances to benefit from Bible study.

The book of Acts describes a group of Christians in the city of Berea that were known for their consistent and intense Bible study, making room for this most important activity in the midst of their normal daily lives. Acts 17:11 states of the Beareans, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Apparently the Bereans had discovered that regular Bible study gave them a peace and power in their lives that could not be experienced any other way.

Daily Bible study is just as essential for Christians today as it was for the Bereans in the early church. Consider this statement from the book The Great Controversy about the importance of studying God’s Word:

The Bible was designed to be a guide to all who wish to become acquainted with the will of their Maker. God gave to men the sure word of prophecy; angels and even Christ Himself came to make known to Daniel and John the things that must shortly come to pass. Those important matters that concern our salvation were not left involved in mystery. They were not revealed in such a way as to perplex and mislead the honest seeker after truth. Said the Lord by the prophet Habakkuk: “Write the vision, and make it plain, …that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2. The word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth. “Light is sown for the righteous.” Psalm 97:11. And no church can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking for truth as for hid treasure (The Great Controversy, 521, emphasis added).

God’s blessing accompanies the study of His Word. If we want spiritual power in our lives, we must commit to regular and habitual reading of the Bible.

Digging Deeper

The Bible explains many of the reasons why Bible study is important for a Christian’s spiritual growth. The passages below are just a sampling of the many reasons the Bible gives about why its study is important. Read the passages below and summarize the reason given in each:

2 Timothy 2:15. (God is pleased when we study His Word, and studying one part of the Bible helps us understand other passages as well, especially those that might be harder to understand.)
John 5:39. (Bible study reveals the historical and prophetic authenticity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and enables us to understand His work for us.)
John 17:17. (Bible study is one of God’s agents for sanctifying people.)
John 12:48-50. (Our standing in God’s judgment is linked with our acceptance of His Word.)

Apply It

The verses below correspond by number with the passages in the “Digging Deeper” section above. Read each passage below and answer the question that follows:

Read Isaiah 28:9,10. What principle of Bible study is revealed here? Why is it important to compare Scripture with Scripture?
Read Luke 24:25-27. What principle of Bible study does Jesus reveal here that can help us understand all parts of the Bible?
Read 1 Corinthians 6:11 and John 14:15-17. In addition to the Bible, what other Agent does God use in accomplishing our sanctification? How do the Holy Spirit and the Bible work together to bring us closer to God?
Read Revelation 12:17; 14:12; and 22:14 (KJV). How important is understanding and keeping God’s commandments for us today, who live near the end of time?

Share It

Our busy lives can make regular Bible study a challenge. What have you found helpful in your life to keep your study of God’s Word a consistent part of your daily schedule?

Prioritizing Bible Study

I remember, as a child, the first day I put toe clips on my bicycle. I had been riding a bike for years, but suddenly, when the toe clips went on, everything changed. I made it home from that first toe-clipped ride, but it wasn’t a smooth one. My attention to the toe clips resulted in a face-first slip-and-slide attempt on the sidewalk and, a short time later, a head-over-heals vault onto the trunk of a parked car. Of course, I quickly learned how to ride effectively with the toe clips, and soon realized that they made riding my bike much easier than it had been before.

In today’s lesson we will look at two important keys to experiencing effective Bible study. Without these keys in place, your trip through the Word of God is bound to be as rough and dangerous as my first toe-clipped bike ride. Once they are implemented consistently, however, you will wonder how you ever studied without them. The first key to effective Bible study is to prioritize your study time.

Digging Deeper

As with any area or pursuit of life, Bible study takes time, and that time must be planned and protected. Read the following passages and summarize their counsel regarding the importance of prioritizing Bible study in our life:

Proverbs 8:17. What principle of Bible study, and of our devotional life in general, is brought out here? (The author of this proverb found the early morning to be the most productive time to spend with God, and many other people have discovered the same thing to be true for them. It is an issue of prioritizing our study of the Bible.)
Exodus 16:13-26. In the Bible, the manna that fell from heaven represented several things, including the Word of God. What time of day did the Israelites collect the manna? (They collected the manna in the morning.) What happened to the manna that was left uncollected until late in the day? (It rotted.)
Acts 6:1-7. What conclusion did the apostles reach regarding their study of God’s Word? (It was the most important thing they did and they re-organized and re-prioritized their lives so that they could devote themselves to understand and teach God’s Word.)

Apply It

Read Revelation 12:17 and 14:12. These prophetic passages both describe God’s faithful people at the end of time. What do both passages reveal about the attitude this group of people has toward the importance of God’s Word in their lives? What does this imply about the decisions we should be making every day?
Read Revelation 20:4. This passage describes those who were willing to die for Christ, and, after the second coming, reign with Jesus for a thousand years. What “prerequisite” for this amazing job—connected with their attitude toward the Bible—is mentioned earlier in this verse? Again, what does this imply about the decisions we should be making every day?
Identify one to three things that you regularly do each day, or at least most days, that could be moved in your daily schedule, or stopped altogether, in order to make room for Bible study.
Select a fixed time each day when you can dedicate at least 15 to 20 minutes of protected time for Bible study. Let nothing interfere with this study time for one week, and at the end of the week write down the blessings that God has given you as a result of this consistent, regular Bible study.

Share It

What benefits have you experienced in your life from regular, scheduled time in God’s Word?

Prayer and Bible Study

Praying before beginning Bible study is essential. When we fail to do this, we leave ourselves open to misunderstanding and even deception. Consider the following warning from the book Steps to Christ regarding the importance of praying before opening God’s Word:

[W]ithout the guidance of the Holy Spirit we shall be continually liable to wrest the Scriptures or to misinterpret them. There is much reading of the Bible that is without profit and in many cases a positive injury. When the word of God is opened without reverence and without prayer; when the thoughts and affections are not fixed upon God, or in harmony with His will, the mind is clouded with doubts; and in the very study of the Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the thoughts, and he suggests interpretations that are not correct. Whenever men are not in word and deed seeking to be in harmony with God, then, however learned they may be, they are liable to err in their understanding of Scripture, and it is not safe to trust to their explanations. Those who look to the Scriptures to find discrepancies, have not spiritual insight. With distorted vision they will see many causes for doubt and unbelief in things that are really plain and simple (Steps to Christ, 110.)

In this lesson we will take a closer look at the connection between prayer and our understanding of God’s Word.

Digging Deeper

Read the following passages and summarize what each one says about the importance of praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in Bible study:

John 16:13. What is the job of the Holy Spirit? (The Holy Spirit’s job is to guide us into truth.)
John 17:17. What is the truth? (God’s Word is the truth.) What, then, is the Holy Spirit’s role in Bible study? (The Spirit guides us into an understanding of Bible truth.)
1 Corinthians 2:9-12. What kinds of things does the Holy Spirit reveal to us as we study the Bible? (The Holy Spirit reveals things about God and the spiritual realities of life that we would never “see” or understand ourselves.)
1 Corinthians 2:13. What method does the Spirit use to guide us in our Bible study? (He leads us to compare “spiritual things with spiritual,” or verse with verse.)
1 Corinthians 2:14. How much hope do we have of understanding the Bible on our own? (None!)

Apply It

Make a commitment to never open the Bible, whether for devotions or for deep study, without first praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Make a commitment to pray every day for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Share It

In what ways has God helped you understand His Word better since you first became a Christian?
In what way(s) was your spiritual growth connected with Bible study and prayer?
Has the Holy Spirit ever helped you specifically understand a passage of Scripture better? What was the Scripture and how did it happen?

Placing Jesus Christ in the Center

Although we will look at many keys for effective Bible study in the course of these lessons, there is one principle that must never be lost sight of. That key is to place Jesus Christ in the center of your study. Jesus said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Not only is Jesus the door to salvation, He is also the door to understanding Scripture. As we will discover in these lessons, His parables, prophecies, prayers, illustrations, and His life reveal powerful tools for interpreting and understanding the Word of God.

This doesn’t mean that every single story or prophecy studied must explicitly link to Jesus, but it does mean that everything studied and every conclusion reached should be placed within the context of the plan of salvation that centers in Christ and His ministry for us. Without this constant focus, Bible study will quickly become boring, theoretical, burdensome, ineffective, occasional, frustrating, or even spiritually dangerous.

Digging Deeper

Read John 1:1-5. What name is given to Jesus here? (He is called the Word.) What is revealed about the Word? (He is God, and has always been God. He made all things, and is the source of life. Furthermore, we as human beings are incapable of comprehending Him on our own.)
Read John 1:14. What else is revealed about the Word? (He became flesh and lived among us.) What does this imply about the relationship God wants us to have with His written Word? (He wants it to become an integral part of our lives, even as Christ has become an integral part of the human race.)
Read Luke 24:25-27,44. What did Jesus say about the focus of the Old Testament writers? (They all focus on Him in some way.)
Read John 5:39. According to Jesus, what is the only way that studying the Bible can lead us to eternal life? (We must let our study of the Bible lead us to Jesus Christ. If we fail to do this, our study will lead us into legalism, or self-deception, or some other similar error, but it won’t lead us into life.)

Apply It

Several simple questions can help keep your Bible study Christ-centered. Asking them frequently during your study time will help keep your study focused on Jesus and His work for you:

Is this passage or story explicitly prophetic of Christ? If so, what aspect or part of Christ’s work of salvation is prophesied?
Is this passage or story typical of Christ? Does it use symbols or themes that are reflected in Christ’s life and/or work for us?
How does this story reveal humanity’s need for a Savior more clearly?
Imagine that this story or passage is the only fragment of the Bible that you have, and that you must use it to explain the gospel to someone with no background in the Bible. How would you proceed?

With these questions in mind, prayerfully study the passages below and search for ways in which they point to or reveal Jesus Christ:

The manna from heaven: Exodus 16:4,13-15.
The law of the servant: Exodus 21:2-6.
The anointing of priests: Leviticus 8:6-12.
The marriage of Boaz and Ruth: Ruth 4:1-10.
The widow’s pot of oil: 2 Kings 4:1-7.

Share It

Have you discovered Jesus Christ recently in what at first seemed to be an unrelated part of Scripture? What did you learn, and how has it augmented your understanding and appreciation of Jesus Christ?
Select a favorite story from the Old Testament, and prayerfully study it until its Christ-centered message becomes clear. Share what you learn with others in your family, class, or study group.

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From Dust to Stars (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 13)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (March 21): From Dust to Stars

Daniel 12:1-4 concludes the prophecy of Daniel chapter 10 and 11. As has been mentioned before, this prophecy focuses on revealing “the truth” (see Daniel 10:1,21; 11:2), and these final verses of the prophecy likewise focus on the end-time, “present truth” that God’s people must understand and experience in order to stand in Christ’s presence at the second coming. The promise of the second coming permeates this chapter: verse 2 references the resurrection, verse 10 contains a close parallel with the purification of the church found in Ephesians 5:25-27, and verse 13 holds a promise for Daniel—and all of God’s people—that they will be able to “stand” in Christ’s presence when He returns.

The first four verses of this chapter continue and complete the sequential fulfillment of Daniel’s final prophecy. Using the historicist interpretive framework, these verses begin with the close of probation, proceed through the time of trouble, highlight the special resurrection immediately preceding the second coming, and climax with the promise of God’s deliverance of His people at the second coming. This week, we will track this progression of end-time events in their literal, sequential fulfillment.

Daniel 12:1-4 also continues and completes the “spiritual application” of Daniel 11 that we studied in the previous lesson, with its emphasis on the message of righteousness by faith and the promise of victory over sin through Christ. Viewed from this perspective, we will see that these first four verses in Daniel 12 contain a powerful description of the revival and reformation that inspiration reveals will “re-awaken” God’s people at the very end of time. In today’s lesson, we will look at the broad contours of this heaven-sent revival as it is revealed in Daniel 12:1-4.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 12:4. What results when “many shall run to and fro”? (Knowledge shall be increased.) What might this “knowledge” be? (Answers will vary. Some have associated this knowledge with the general increase in scientific knowledge during the last couple of centuries. While this is not necessarily incorrect, a fascinating Biblical answer is found by comparing Habakkuk 2:2-4.)
Read Habakkuk 2:2-4. What kind of knowledge is referred to in this passage? (Verse 4 talks of the “just that shall live by his faith.” This passage is focused on righteousness by faith, and its practical manifestation of experiencing God’s victory over sin. Compare Ephesians 4:11-15.) What do those who have this knowledge do? (They run.)
Read Daniel 12:3. What do the wise do in this verse? (They turn many to righteousness.) How do they do this? (Answers will vary. They share the prophetic “vision” and promises that “the just shall live by faith.”)
Read Daniel 12:2, Genesis 3:14, and Psalm 119:25. What can “dust” represent? (Sin.) What might Daniel 12:2 mean when “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake”? (It appears that many people living in sin will become aware of their true condition and respond to the everlasting gospel of righteousness by faith and victory over sin.) Will all of them respond favorably? (Apparently not. This verse reveals that some will accept the message and awake to everlasting life, while others will ultimately reject the message and receive “everlasting contempt.”)
Read Daniel 12:1. What happens for those that “awake to everlasting life”? (They are found written in the book and are delivered.

Sunday (March 22): Michael, Our Prince

In Daniel 12:1, Michael, “the great prince,” is pictured standing for God’s people. Earlier lessons have already identified Michael with the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. Today’s lesson focuses on the significance of Jesus standing up at the very end of time. As the book The Great Controversy points out, the succession of events in Daniel 2,7,8 leads up to 1844 when the judgment starts:

The prophecies present a succession of events leading down to the opening of the judgment. This is especially true of the book of Daniel. But that part of his prophecy which related to the last days, Daniel was bidden to close up and seal “to the time of the end.” Not till we reach this time could a message concerning the judgment be proclaimed, based on the fulfillment of these prophecies. But at the time of the end, says the prophet, “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4. {GC 355.3}

Likewise, Daniel 12:1-4 reveals the succession of events when the judgment ends.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 11:45-12:1. What events immediately precede Michael standing up? (Selected events are listed below.)
- The time of the end begins (Daniel 11:40)
- The “little time of trouble” builds in intensity as worldwide conflict increases (Daniel 11:41-43)
- The loud cry is given by God’s people (Daniel 11:44)
- The king of the north attacks God’s people (Daniel 11:45)
Read the passage below from the book The Great Controversy and list the events that take place when Michael stands up. (Suggested answers are underlined in the quoted text.)

“At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1. {GC 613.1}

When the third angel’s message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received “the latter rain,” “the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,” and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received “the seal of the living God.” Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, “It is done;” and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11. Every case has been decided for life or death. Christ has made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The number of His subjects is made up; “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,” is about to be given to the heirs of salvation, and Jesus is to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. {GC 613.2}

When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old. {GC 614.1}

Monday (March 23): Written in the Book

In Daniel 7:9-10, the prophet sees the heavenly judgment begin in heaven with books being opened. In Daniel 12:1, as the judgment is ending, it is revealed what those books contain—God’s people that are soon to be delivered. In today’s lesson we will discover what it means to be “written in the book.” More importantly, we will see how we can be written there.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:9,10. What is opened when the judgment begins? (Books are opened.)
Read Daniel 12:1. What, or who, is written in the heavenly books? (Those that are delivered are “found written in the book.”) What book must this be? (It must be the book of life. As Jesus said in Luke 10:20, we should “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” There are other books in heaven in which all people are written [see Psalm 56:8; Malachi 3;16; Isaiah 65:6]; however, it is the book of life what we want to be in!)
Read Daniel 7:13,14. These verses also describe what happens in heaven during the judgment. What does Christ receive when the books are opened and the judgment begins? (He receives “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him.”) What, then, is Christ’s kingdom made up of, according to this verse? (It is made up of people that serve Him.)
Read John 14:15. What is the key to serving God? (We must love Him in order to truly serve Him.)
Read John 14:16,17. On what attitude and experience is the promise of the Holy Spirit given? (Jesus promised to give the Holy Spirit to those that love Him and desire to serve Him. It is interesting that in verse 17, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth.” Receiving the Spirit of Truth is essential to understanding and experiencing the promises of righteousness by faith contained in the “vision of truth” in Daniel 10-12 [see Daniel 10:1,21; 11:2].)

Tuesday (March 24): The Resurrection

In Daniel 12:2, the prophet is promised that when Michael stands and God’s people are delivered, “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.” As we will see, this refers to a “special resurrection” that takes place shortly before the general resurrection of the righteous at the second coming.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 12:2 and John 5:28,29. What similarities are there between these two passages? (They both describe a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked.) What differences are there between these two passages? (In John 5, Jesus says that “all” people will be raised from the dead. This will happen at the general resurrection of the righteous at the second coming, and the general resurrection of the wicked after the millennium. In Daniel 12, “many” but not all are raised. Apparently this verse is referring to a “special resurrection” involving a specific group of people around the time of the second coming.)
Read Matthew 26:62-64. What promise did Jesus make to His persecutors during His trial? (They would see Him in His glory at the second coming. He was here referring to the special resurrection found in Daniel 12:2. These unfortunate souls will die three times—at the first death, after the special resurrection at the second coming, and again at the second death following the millennium.)
Read the following statement from the book The Great Controversy, and discuss why God raises up those who have died “in the faith of the third angel’s message” at the special resurrection:

Graves are opened, and “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth ... awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. “They also which pierced Him” (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient. {GC 637.1}

Wednesday (March 25): The Sealed Book

In Daniel 12:4, an angel instructs Daniel to “seal the book” until “the time of the end.” This “book” refers most specifically to the vision of Daniel 10-12 and more generally to the prophecies found in Daniel 8:14 through the end of the book. Historical evidence is clear that Christians in the early centuries understood Daniel’s prophecies pointing to Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, and even the emergence of the antichrist power sometime after Rome would fall. However, it was not until “the time of the end”—in the late 1700s and early 1800s—that the prophecies in the latter portion of the book of Daniel began to be understood.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 12:4. Why does God instruct Daniel to seal the book? Is God trying to hide something from him? (The instruction to seal the book is a prophecy that the things in the book will not be understood until the time of the end.)
Read Daniel 12:9,10. What does verse 10 reveal about those who eventually understand Daniel’s sealed book, and those that do not? What is the difference between them? (The wise eventually understand, but the wicked do not.) Who are the wise, according to this verse? (The wise are those that are “purified, and made white, and tried.” In other words, an experience is necessary to understand the things written in the sealed book.) What is the experience necessary to understand the book? (According to verse 10, only those who allow God to refine their characters and receive His righteousness are wise and understand.)
Read Revelation 10:1,2. What does the heavenly being in this prophetic passage hold in his hand? (An open book.) What does that imply about the contents of the book? (It implies that the contents of the book are understood.)
Read Revelation 10:3,4. How can this little book be “open” when John is told to “seal up” the things it contains? (Like Daniel’s book, this “little book” is to be sealed up until God’s people have gone through a certain experience. After that experience, or perhaps through that experience, they will gain an understanding of the things in the book.)
Read Revelation 10:7 and Colossians 1:27. What is the key to understanding the things in this “little book”? (The book centers on the finishing of the mystery of God, which, according to Colossians 1:27, is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It points to an experience whereby God purifies His people so that He can live within them.)
Read Revelation 10:8-11 and the passage below from the SDA Bible Commentary. Discuss how Revelation 10:8-11 points to the experience of God’s people during the Advent Awakening and through the Great Disappointment.

After these seven thunders uttered their voices, the injunction comes to John as to Daniel in regard to the little book: “Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered.” These relate to future events which will be disclosed in their order. Daniel shall stand in his lot at the end of the days. John sees the little book unsealed. Then Daniel’s prophecies have their proper place in the first, second, and third angels’ messages to be given to the world. The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to time. {7BC 971.4}

The books of Daniel and the Revelation are one. One is a prophecy, the other a revelation; one a book sealed, the other a book opened. John heard the mysteries which the thunders uttered, but he was commanded not to write them. {7BC 971.5}

The special light given to John which was expressed in the seven thunders was a delineation of events which would transpire under the first and second angels’ messages. It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested. In the order of God most wonderful and advanced truths would be proclaimed. The first and second angels’ messages were to be proclaimed, but no further light was to be revealed before these messages had done their specific work. This is represented by the angel standing with one foot on the sea, proclaiming with a most solemn oath that time should be no longer. {7BC 971.6}

This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world’s history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844. {7BC 971.7}

Thursday (March 26): The Waiting Time

The book of Daniel contains numerous time prophecies, and chapter 12 is no exception. Three time prophecies are contained in its closing verses. One—the “time, times, and a half” (verse 7)— appears earlier in Daniel 7:25. The other two—the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days—appear only in Daniel 12:11-12. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at these three time prophecies.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 12:6,7. Have we seen this time prophecy earlier in the book of Daniel? Where? (Yes. It is the same time prophecy found in Daniel 7:25.) What power and time period does it refer to? (It points to the 1,260 years of papal rule from 538 AD to 1798 AD.) Why might it be repeated here in Daniel 12 between two verses—verses 3 and 10—that point to the experience of God’s people as they are purified from sin and receive Christ’s righteousness? (Answers will vary. The destructive doctrines and activities of the little horn power during its 1,260 years of rule prevented, to a large degree, the ability of people to understand and experience God’s promises found in verses 3 and 10.)
Read Daniel 12:10,11. What does this time prophecy point to? (It probably ends in 1798, like the 1,260-year prophecy. It would therefore begin in the year 508 AD, when King Clovis of France was baptized as a Roman Catholic, clearing the way for papal power to gain a strong foothold in Europe.
Read Daniel 12:12,13. What does this time prophecy point to? (It points to a period of 1,335 years that end with a blessing for God’s people. It most likely begins in 508 AD and ends in 1843 AD, when the first angel’s message was being preached and the 2,300 years of Daniel 8:14 were coming to a close. In the year 1843 the advent believers were also beginning to pass through the experience prophesied in Revelation 10:8-11.)

Friday (March 27): Daniel 12 and the 10 Virgins

At the beginning of this week’s lessons, we saw that Daniel 12:1-4 reveal a powerful revival and reformation that will awaken God’s people at the end of time and prepare them to stand in Christ’s presence at the second coming. In today’s lesson, we will see how Christ’s parable of the 10 virgins provides some striking parallels with this passage.

Discussion Questions:

Read Matthew 25:1-4. What two groups of “virgins” are in this parable? (The wise and the foolish.) What makes the difference between these two groups? (The wise took oil with their lamps, while the foolish did not.)
Read Daniel 12:3,10. What do these verses reveal about what it means to have “oil” in our lamps? (While the oil can represent the Holy Spirit, these verses reveal the practical results of the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s life—they will turn others to righteousness and be purified and white themselves.)
Read Matthew 25:5. What happens to both the wise and foolish virgins? (They all fall asleep.) What happens when the bridegroom approaches? (They all wake up.)
Read Daniel 12:2. As we have already studied, this verse will receive a literal fulfillment in the special resurrection. However, when applied spiritually and personally, it may also point to the experience of God’s professed people when the message of righteousness by faith comes to them. According to this verse, how many will respond to this message? (Many respond to it.) Do they all respond the same way? (No. Some apparently accept it and are saved, while others reject it and are lost.)
Read Matthew 25:6-12. What privilege do the wise virgins experience? (They enter into the marriage ceremony with the bridegroom.) What happens to the foolish virgins? (They “run to and fro” looking for oil at the wrong time. Notice also the similarities between verse 9 and Revelation 13:17. Perhaps the foolish virgins are trying to “buy and sell” Christ’s righteousness too late—at the time of final crisis—and end up receiving a counterfeit—the mark of the beast—instead.)
Read Matthew 25:10. What does it mean to be “ready”? (Answers will vary. In the context of today’s study, it certainly includes a daily experience now, before the final crisis strikes, of seeking Christ’s righteousness and power over sin in our lives.)

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From North and South to the Beautiful Land (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 12)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0500

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Sabbath (March 14): From North and South to the Beautiful Land

Daniel 11 is a challenging chapter. Because it’s final verses have not yet been completely fulfilled, and because the Spirit of Prophecy does not provide a clear, explicit interpretation, it is best to avoid dogmatic positions on the exact interpretation of the last five verses especially. However, this does not mean that this chapter should not be studied. On the contrary, it contains deep truths that must be uncovered, understood, and lived out in the daily life. If we fail to do this, we will be among those carried away in the “whirlwind” predicted in Daniel 11:40.

Two of the very few direct statements about Daniel 11 found in the Spirit of Prophecy were written late in Ellen White’s life:

The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will take place. {9T 14.2}

The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.... {Mar 25.5; originally in RH November 24, 1904}

Obviously, little precise and definitive information is given in these passages about Daniel 11 other than the rather general statement that its prophecies are about to be completely fulfilled. We must, therefore, commit to a deeper study of Scripture in order to understand the hidden truths of this chapter.

Three aspects of the prophecy in Daniel 11 will receive our attention this week—the beautiful land, the covenant, and the abomination of desolation. We will largely ignore the identification of the King of the North and the King of the South. While these are both important elements of the prophecy, they are, in a sense, secondary to the chapter’s core message. Instead, we will suggest a personal and spiritual application of the prophecy—one that, we believe, neither contradicts nor precludes interpretations that focus more heavily on the two kings. We should also note that the titles of this week’s lessons differ from the titles given in the Bible Study Guide.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 11:2-3 and 12:1-2. How does this prophecy begin and how does it end? (It begins with a repetition of the same earthly kingdoms that has been explained in Daniel 2, 7, and 8. It ends with a description of Christ’s second coming, which is also how Daniel’s earlier lines of prophecy end.)
In what ways is Daniel 11 similar to the earlier lines of prophecy in this book? (The basic contour of Daniel 11 is no different than that of Daniel 2, 7, and 8. As we have already seen in earlier lessons, the primary objective of this repetition seems to explain what happens just before Christ’s second coming. Indeed, Daniel 11:40-12:2 contains a detailed description of events that occur during “the time of the end” beginning in the year 1798 and ending at Christ’s second coming.)
In regards to what happens just before Christ’s second coming, what do Daniel 7, 8, and 11 add to the basic outline found in Daniel 2? (Daniel 7 shows that the judgment takes place after the little horn’s rule and before Christ returns. Daniel 8 reveals that the judgment involves a work of cleansing in the heavenly sanctuary. Daniel 11, as we will see this week, focuses on the practical result that Christ’s cleansing work must have in our life if we will escape the abomination of desolation.)

Sunday (March 15): Daniel 11:40-45 and Earth’s Final Events

In today’s lesson we will investigate several important parallels between Daniel 11:40-45 and the story of the exodus from Egypt.[1] This study will lay the foundation for our understanding of the beautiful land, the covenant, and the abomination of desolation later this week. Our study begins with Daniel 11:40, which performs three important functions:

It introduces the final conflict between the kings of the North and the South.
It reveals that this conflict takes place at the time of the end.
It summarizes the reaction of the king of the North in response to the attack from the king of the South.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 11:8,40,42. With what nation is the king of the South identified or associated with in Daniel 11? (Egypt.)
Read Exodus 5:2 and 13:3. What characteristics define the land of Egypt? (It is a land of oppression that refuses to acknowledge God or His authority. For this reason many have identified Egypt and the king of the South in Daniel 11 with atheism, secularism, and materialism.
Read Daniel 11:29-39. What power found in other prophecies of Daniel and Revelation does the king of the North appear to point to? (The papacy most specifically, and those powers aligned with it, more generally.)
Read Daniel 11:40-45. What characteristics and activities of the king of the North remind you of God’s actions toward Egypt during the Exodus? (Possible similarities between are given below.)

God’s hand was against Egypt in the Exodus, and in Daniel 11 the king of the North fights against the land of Egypt.
God used the Red Sea to destroy the Egyptian army, and the king of the North “overflows” the king of the South at the end of time.
The terms “chariots” and “horsemen” in Daniel 11:40 are associated with the exodus account (Exodus 14:9,17-18,23,etc.).
Edom, Moab, and Ammon are mentioned in Israel’s wilderness travels yet remained unconquered, and neither does the king of the North conquer them.
The Israelites took many treasures from the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35,36), and the king of the North appears to do the same thing.
God led the Israelites to meet Him on Mt. Sinai, and the king of the North heads to the “holy mountain.”
Israel was commanded to exterminate the inhabitants of Canaan for their sins (Deuteronomy 7:2), and the king of the North tries to exterminate God’s people.

How might one summarize the basic conflict being described between the king of the North and the king of the South in Daniel 11:40-45. (Answers will vary. One possible interpretation that has been suggested goes something like this: After successfully fighting against God and God’s people during the middle ages [verses 29-39], the papacy is stalled in its conquest of world dominion by the rise of atheism and secularism, starting with the French Revolution in the 1790s [verse 40]. A great ideological and spiritual battle ensues between the atheistic worldview and the “Christian” religious worldview, with the “Christian” worldview eventually dominating.)

Monday (March 16): Daniel 11 and the Glorious Land

During the epic battle between the king of the North and the king of the South during the time of the end, the king of the North “enter[s] also into the glorious land” (Daniel 11:41). As a result, “Many…shall be overthrown.” The Hebrew verb here means literally to “stumble” or “stagger,” yet others “escape out of his hand.” While this part of the prophecy may very well point to literal, physical battles that take place on earth, there is also a personal, spiritual application that must not be missed. It is to this application of the prophecy that we now turn. We will begin by looking at four examples of a “glorious land” in the Bible, and the purpose that God had, or has, for each one.

Discussion Questions:

Read Genesis 2:8. Where did God place Adam at his creation? (God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden. This was the most glorious part of an incredibly beautiful world.) What was possible for Adam to do in the Garden of Eden? (“It was possible for Adam, before the fall, to form a righteous character by obedience to God’s law” [Steps to Christ, 62].)
Read Ezekiel 20:6. What did Ezekiel call the land of Canaan? (He called it “the glory of all lands,” or “the most beautiful of all lands” in the NIV.)
Read Exodus 19:5,6. Why did God bring Israel out of the land of Egypt into Canaan? (So that they could be a “holy nation” and form righteous characters.)
Read 1 Peter 2:9. What is God’s purpose for the church today? (To be a “holy nation” with righteous characters.)
Read Revelation 22:4. What kind of character will the residents of the New Jerusalem have? (They will have the Father’s “name,” or character, written on their foreheads.)
Read Romans 1:16,17. What reveals to us God’s power to place His righteousness into our lives? (The gospel. Wherever the everlasting gospel is preached, taught, and lived, that may be regarded as “the glorious land.”)

As we have seen, “the glorious land” in Daniel 11:41 may also represent a place where righteous characters can be formed, and the attack by the king of the North, including the abomination of desolation, may therefore point to Satan’s end-time attack against God’s everlasting gospel. Some people have suggested that the king of the North’s entry into “the glorious land” means that God’s remnant church has today been overtaken by the papacy and that it is time to “come out” and form a new organization. Such reasoning does not harmonize with Biblical typology. Babylon did indeed enter into the land of Judah, attacked, and overpowered Jerusalem in the Old Testament—and did so because of Israel’s sins, yet Israel remained God’s chosen people. The same would hold true today—even though the church and its message has come under attack, this does not mean that it is no longer God’s church.

Tuesday (March 17): Daniel 11 and the Glorious Land, Part 2

In yesterday’s lesson we saw that “the glorious land” in Daniel 11:41 may represent the place where righteous characters can be formed. Today, this “land” can represent Revelation’s remnant church, which has been entrusted with the everlasting gospel and Three Angels’ Messages (Revelation 14:6-12). These messages reveal “the power of God unto salvation… For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith” (Romans 1:16,17). Today we will see that the entire book of Daniel, and especially its four parallel lines of prophecy, may very well focus in on the message of righteousness by faith, and its accompanying promise of victory over sin through Christ’s power.

To begin, let’s review the four parallel lines of prophecy in Daniel, with special attention paid to the “new” information found in each:

Daniel 2. An outline of world empires beginning with Babylon and ending with Christ’s second coming.
Daniel 7. A repetition of Daniel 2, with the judgment added after the fourth empire and before Christ’s second coming.
Daniel 8 and 9. A repetition of Daniel 2 and 7, with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary added as a further explanation of the judgment and how God deals with sin.
Daniel 10-12. A repetition of Daniel 2, 7, and 8-9, with a focus on “the glorious land” and its promise of forming a righteous character through faith in God’s covenant of salvation and Jesus Christ’s righteousness.

With this outline in place, let’s proceed to our study for today.

Discussion Questions:

Read John 16:1-3. What is Jesus talking about here? (He is talking about the actions of the world, especially in opposition to God and God’s people.) Is Jesus describing any work of God in this chapter, or is it only those of the world? (It is only those of the world. In this way, John 16:1-3 may be compared to the dream in Daniel 2, in which the actions of the world are prophesied, leading up to Christ’s second coming.)
Read John 16:7-11. Whose work is being described here? (The work of the Holy Spirit.) What three aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work are mentioned? (He reproves the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.) Which chapter in Daniel mentions God’s judgment? (Daniel 7.) Which chapter in Daniel reveals how God deals with sin in the heavenly sanctuary? (Daniel 8.) If John 16:1-11 can indeed be considered in this relation to the book of Daniel, what work of the Holy Spirit remains that must be emphasized in Daniel 10-12? (Righteousness. Yesterday we saw that the “glorious land” may point to the message and experience through which God creates a righteous character in people. Here, Jesus reveals that the Holy Spirit is involved in this work.
Read John 16:13. What else will the Holy Spirit guide us into? (“All truth.”)
Read Daniel 10:1,21; 11:2. What is the recurring emphasis about Daniel’s last vision? (The recurring emphasis in Daniel’s last vision is to understand truth.)
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. If we don’t believe truth, what is the guaranteed outcome? (We will “have pleasure in unrighteousness.”) What kind of “truth” is so important to believe today, at the time of the end? (“All truth,” including prophetic truth and the truth of the everlasting gospel and its promise of victory over sin in this life through the power of Jesus Christ.)

Wednesday (March 18): The Prince of the Covenant

The word “covenant” occurs seven times in six verses in the book of Daniel, and Daniel 11 contains five of those appearances (see Daniel 11:22, 28, 30, and 32). The covenant is first mentioned in Daniel 9—first, as Daniel prays to God Who “keep[s] the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments (Daniel 9:4), and second in Daniel 9:27 in reference to the Messiah Who “confirm[s] the covenant.” A correct understanding of the covenant is essential in our study of the book of Daniel, and in today’s lesson we will take a closer look at God’s everlasting covenant and its relationship to God’s gospel promise of victory over sin.

Discussion Questions:

Read Romans 11:27 and Matthew 1:21. What is God’s covenant to humanity? (God’s covenant, effected through Jesus Christ, is to take away our sins and save us from our sins.)
Read Matthew 26:26-28. What two symbols connected with Himself did Jesus use to refer to God’s covenant to take away our sins? (He referred to His body and His blood.)
Read Hebrews 9:8-14; 10:1. In addition to providing forgiveness of sins, what can Christ’s blood do for us today? (It can cleanse our conscience, and free our mind from the power of sin and place it under the power of God [compare Romans 6:12-14].)
Read Ephesians 5:25-27. In addition to the forgiveness of sins provided through Christ’s sufferings and death, what does Christ’s body represent for us today? (It represents a church purified from sin, without spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish.)
Read Romans 1:16,17 and 8:1-4. What does the gospel reveal about the end purpose and goal of Christ’s sufferings and death? (He endured this for our sakes so that, through faith, we can live with God’s power and righteousness in our lives.)

Read this statement from the book Christ’s Object Lessons and discuss what is possible for us through the power of Christ:

God is love. He has shown that love in the gift of Christ…He gave all heaven, from which we may draw strength and efficiency, that we be not repulsed or overcome by our great adversary. But the love of God does not lead Him to excuse sin. He did not excuse it in Satan; He did not excuse it in Adam or in Cain; nor will He excuse it in any other of the children of men. He will not connive at our sins or overlook our defects of character. He expects us to overcome in His name. {COL 316}

Thursday (March 19): The Abomination of Desolation, Part 1

The “abomination of desolation” is mentioned in Daniel 11 and 12, and was referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 in His discourse on end-time events and signs of His second coming. In 70 AD, Daniel’s and Christ’s prophecies about the abomination of desolation received a literal fulfillment in Jerusalem’s destruction by the Roman army. Consider this statement from the book The Great Controversy:

Jesus declared to the listening disciples the judgments that were to fall upon apostate Israel, and especially the retributive vengeance that would come upon them for their rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah. Unmistakable signs would precede the awful climax. The dreaded hour would come suddenly and swiftly. And the Saviour warned His followers: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.” Matthew 24:15, 16; Luke 21:20, 21. When the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set up in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight. When the warning sign should be seen, those who would escape must make no delay. Throughout the land of Judea, as well as in Jerusalem itself, the signal for flight must be immediately obeyed. He who chanced to be upon the housetop must not go down into his house, even to save his most valued treasures. Those who were working in the fields or vineyards must not take time to return for the outer garment laid aside while they should be toiling in the heat of the day. They must not hesitate a moment, lest they be involved in the general destruction. {GC 25.4}

Discussion Questions:

Read Matthew 23:37,38. What had preceded Jerusalem’s literal destruction? (Before its literal destruction, Jerusalem had committed a type of spiritual abomination by rejecting God’s prophets and their message.) What was the result of this as Jesus stated it in verse 38? (Their “house [was] left unto [them] desolate.)
Read the passage below from the book The Great Controversy and discuss what sin or sins, in particular, seem to have led to the “abomination of desolation” and Jerusalem’s destruction. (Corruption and self-righteousness were the prevailing sins.)

The Lord had declared by the prophet Micah: “Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.” Micah 3:9-11. {GC 26.2}

These words [Micah 3:9-11] faithfully described the corrupt and self-righteous inhabitants of Jerusalem. While claiming to observe rigidly the precepts of God’s law, they were transgressing all its principles. They hated Christ because His purity and holiness revealed their iniquity; and they accused Him of being the cause of all the troubles which had come upon them in consequence of their sins. Though they knew Him to be sinless, they had declared that His death was necessary to their safety as a nation. “If we let Him thus alone,” said the Jewish leaders, “all men will believe on Him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.” John 11:48. If Christ were sacrificed, they might once more become a strong, united people. Thus they reasoned, and they concurred in the decision of their high priest, that it would be better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish. {GC 27.1}

Read 2 Chronicles 36:14-17. What caused Jerusalem’s first destruction by the Babylonians? (It, too, was caused by apostasy and rebellion.)
Read Ezekiel 8. What kinds of abominations was God showing Ezekiel? Were they brought on by external powers, or by God’s own people? (They were “internal” abominations caused by apostasy and rebellion.) What was the setting for Ezekiel’s vision, and what, really, was being “desolated”? (The sanctuary, or temple.)
Read Leviticus 16:29,30. What was the “ultimate purpose” of the sanctuary and its services? (To forgive and cleanse God’s people of sin so that they could stand in His presence.) What would an “abomination of desolation” in the sanctuary do to its effectiveness in cleansing people from sin? (It would destroy its effectiveness, and people would remain in their sins.) What would then happen to God’s covenant to take away our sins? (It would be ineffective.)

Friday (March 20): The Abomination of Desolation, Part 2

We are told in the book The Great Controversy that “Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ had given His disciples warning, and all who believed His words watched for the promised sign. … “Without delay they fled to a place of safety—the city of Pella, in the land of Perea, beyond Jordan” (page 30). In this lesson we will take a closer look at Jesus’s words of warning about the abomination of desolation, and see how they can apply spiritually to us today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Matthew 24:11,12. What does Jesus warn about here? (False prophets who will deceive many people.) What results due to their false teachings? (Iniquity prevails, and the love of many grows cold.)
Read Matthew 24:13,14. What will be preached to counter the false teachings? (The true gospel will be preached.) Then what will happen? (The end will come.)
Read Matthew 24:15. In the context of verses 11-14, around what issue might we expect the abomination of desolation to play out? (The issue of the true gospel versus a false gospel.) What might the “holy place” refer to? (In the New Covenant, the “holy place” (or Most Holy Place) is the mind, where God’s law is written [Hebrews 8:16].) So what kind of battle is the abomination of desolation at the end of time? (It is primarily a mental and spiritual battle between truth and deception.)
Read Matthew 24:16. Where did Jesus tell His disciples to flee when this battle takes place? (Into the mountains.) In Psalm 48:1. What does the mountain represent? (God’s holiness [see also Psalm 15].) What might Jesus have meant here, then? (When the battle of the true gospel of salvation from sin, and the false gospel of salvation in sin, takes place, run immediately to Jesus Christ and claim His righteousness!)
Read Matthew 24:17,18. What might Jesus have meant in these verses? (There is absolutely nothing we can take to God from ourselves that will make us righteous. Everything must come from Jesus Christ. Do not present your own standard of righteousness, either “less than” or “more than” God requires. Either error is treason against God.)

If you would gather together everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason. Standing in the presence of their Creator and looking upon the unsurpassed glory which enshrouds His person, they are looking upon the Lamb of God given from the foundation of the world to a life of humiliation, to be rejected of sinful men, to be despised, to be crucified. Who can measure the infinity of the sacrifice! {FW 24.1}

Read 1 John 4:17. What is God’s standard of righteousness in this world? (The righteousness of Christ, perfect obedience to God’s law.)

The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,—just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents,—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized. {SC 62.1}

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[1] Many of the ideas in Sunday’s study were taken from Angel Manuel Rodriguez, Daniel 11 and the Islam Interpretation (Biblical Research Institute, May 2015). This study can be found online at https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/prophecy/daniel-11-and-islam-interpretation

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From Battle to Victory, 2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 11

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 7 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (March 7): From Battle to Victory

Daniel 10 introduces the book’s final vision, which comprises the last three chapters. The vision forms the third “repetition and enlargement” of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the metal man and its revelation of the four great world empires stretching from Daniel’s day to Christ’s second coming. Although this vision runs parallel with the three earlier iterations of the prophetic timeline, it focuses more heavily on “the time of the end” (Daniel 11:40) and earth’s final events than do chapters 2, 7, or 8. At the same time, it also reveals more of the hidden spiritual battle that is unfolding as the great controversy rages.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 10:1. What three things does Daniel explain about the vision introduced in this chapter? (“The thing was true,” “the time appointed was long,” and “he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”)
Read the following verses from the latter part of Daniel’s final vision, and discuss how each one relates to the three aspects of the vision brought out in Daniel 10:1.
- Daniel 11:2. “The thing was true.” (God’s prophetic word is truth, and those who study it, live by it, and teach it to others have the promise that they are basing their lives on a solid Rock.)
- Daniel 11:35, 40; 12:1. “The time appointed was long.” (This vision extends until the end of time and Christ’s second coming. In a special way, the vision focuses on the very final events connected with the battle of Armageddon [Daniel 11:40-45], the close of probation [Daniel 12:1], and the second coming [Daniel 12:2].)
- Daniel 11:33; 12:10. “He understood the thing…” (God has given divine understanding to all His people throughout history that have treasured His word. At the end of time, we are promised that same gift, and it will be given to those who seek and accept God’s purification and cleansing from sin [compare Daniel 12:10].)
Read the following passage from the book In Heavenly Places and discuss the realities that every soldier of Christ must face. How can we remain faithful to God and experience His victory on a daily basis? (Answers will vary.)

To follow Christ is not freedom from conflict. It is not child’s play. It is not spiritual idleness. All the enjoyment in Christ’s service means sacred obligations in meeting oft stern conflicts. To follow Christ means stern battles, active labor, warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our enjoyment is the victories gained for Christ in earnest, hard, warfare.... We are enlisted for labor, “not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (John 6:27).... {HP 117.3}

Every soul must count the cost. Not one will succeed but by strenuous effort. We must spiritually exercise all our powers and crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. Crucifixion means much more than many suppose.... {HP 117.4}

It is a constant watchfulness to be faithful unto death, to fight the good fight of faith until the warfare is ended and as overcomers we shall receive the crown of life.39 {HP 117.5}

Sunday (March 8): Fasting and Prayer, Once Again

The vision recorded in Daniel 10 occurred “in the third year of Cyrus” (Daniel 10:1), in 536 B.C. Within the last few months, about 50,000 Jews had returned to Jerusalem under Cyrus’s decree. The Bible does not state why Daniel remained in Babylon—perhaps he felt he was too old, or he decided to remain close to the throne in his position of influence in order to help his people in any way that he could. It is clear, however, that his heart was in Jerusalem with the Jews, and with God.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 10:2,3. We are given no explanation in this chapter as to why Daniel was mourning, praying, and fasting. However, what do we, once again, see that Daniel’s natural and first response to crisis is? (Daniel prays, earnestly, when faced with dangerous, difficult, or discouraging situations.)
Read Ezra 4:4,5. It is possible that Daniel’s prayer and fasting resulted from opposition taking place in Jerusalem to the rebuilding of the temple. If this was indeed the situation, what role was Daniel performing on behalf of his people in Jerusalem? (He was interceding for them before God.)
Read Daniel 10:12. What impact did Daniel’s prayer of intercession have in heaven? (Gabriel, presumably, was sent “the first day” that Daniel began praying to work on behalf of God’s people.) What encouragement should we gain from this amazing revelation of heaven’s answer to Daniel’s prayer? (God hears our prayers, and responds to them. There is no delay in heaven’s “processing” of our prayers.)
Read Deuteronomy 7:2-4; 14:2. The Jews rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem had received an offer of assistance from the nearby Samaritans. However, based on the principles in these verses, and the lessons painfully learned from their own history, the Jews refused the offer of help. Why did the Jewish leaders refuse this help? Was this a wise choice? (They did not want to enter into any relationship with unbelievers that would spiritually threaten their dependence on, and obedience to, God.) What lesson does their decision have for us today? (Answers will vary.)

Only a remnant had chosen to return from Babylon; and now, as they undertake a work seemingly beyond their strength, their nearest neighbors come with an offer of help. The Samaritans refer to their worship of the true God, and express a desire to share the privileges and blessings connected with the temple service. “We seek your God, as ye do,” they declare. “Let us build with you.” But had the Jewish leaders accepted this offer of assistance, they would have opened a door for the entrance of idolatry. They discerned the insincerity of the Samaritans. They realized that help gained through an alliance with these men would be as nothing in comparison with the blessing they might expect to receive by following the plain commands of Jehovah. {PK 568.1}

The principles set forth in Deuteronomy for the instruction of Israel are to be followed by God’s people to the end of time. True prosperity is dependent on the continuance of our covenant relationship with God. Never can we afford to compromise principle by entering into alliance with those who do not fear Him. {PK 570.2}

Monday (March 9): A Vision of the Prince

Daniel’s vision had a marked physical impact upon the prophet, as well as those who were around him. In today’s lesson we will look at the Person Daniel sees in vision, as well as the effect this vision had on the prophet.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 10:4-6. What seven descriptions does Daniel give of the heavenly being he sees? (He is clothed in linen, he has gold around his waist, his body appears like beryl, his face is like lightning, his eyes look like fire, his arms and feet are like bronze, and his voice sounds like a multitude.) Is it any surprise that Daniel falls to the ground in response? (No! He actually has to be revived three times in this chapter as he comes face to face with heavenly beings.)
Read Joshua 5:13-15, Ezekiel 1:26-2, and Revelation 1:12-16. Compare these descriptions of divine appearances with that in Daniel 10. Who has appeared to Daniel? (It seems clear that Daniel is seeing the Son of God, the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.)

This description is similar to that given by John when Christ was revealed to him upon the Isle of Patmos. No less a personage than the Son of God appeared to Daniel. Our Lord comes with another heavenly messenger to teach Daniel what would take place in the latter days. {SL 49.3}

Read Daniel 10:7. Why did Daniel’s companions flee when Daniel entered into this vision? (They were probably Chaldean idolaters, and when the Holy Spirit fell upon Daniel, they were as anxious to get away from God’s presence as were Adam and Eve to hide from their Creator after their transgression.)
Read Daniel 10:8,9,15,17. What physical impact did the vision have on Daniel? (He had no strength, he appeared to be in a deep sleep, he was initially lying facedown, he could not speak, and there was no breath left in him. Apparently he was not breathing.) Compare the effects of Daniel’s vision with a vision that Ellen White once had. What similarities do you see?

A parallel circumstance occurred in Parkville, Michigan, January 12, 1861. It was the day of the dedication of the Parkville meeting-house, and a large audience had assembled. Elder White and his wife, Elder J. H. Waggoner, and the writer were present. At the close of the service, Mrs. White gave an exhortation, and the blessing of God rested upon her in a remarkable degree. After sitting down, she was taken off in vision, and remained seated.

There was present a Doctor Brown, a hale, strong man physically, who was a Spiritualist medium. As was afterward learned, he had said that Mrs. White's visions were the same as spirit mediumship, and that if she had one where he was, he could bring her out of it in one minute.

Elder White gave an invitation for all who desired to do so to come forward and by examination satisfy themselves as to her condition while in vision. Some one said, "Doctor, go ahead, and do as you said you would." Elder White then asked: "Is there a doctor in the house? We always like to have physicians examine Mrs. White in vision."

The doctor started quite bravely; but before he got half way to Mrs. White, he turned deathly pale and shook like a leaf. He was urged to go on and make the examination. As soon as this was completed, he made his way rapidly to the door, and seized hold of the knob to go out.

Those standing by prevented him, saying: "Go back, and do what you said you would do. Bring that woman out of the vision." Elder White, seeing the doctor trying to get out of the door, said, "Will the doctor please report to the audience?" He replied, "Her heart and pulse are regular, but there is not a particle of breath in her body." Then, in great agitation, he again grasped the knob of the door. The people near him said, "Doctor, what is it?" He replied, "God only knows; let me out of this house." And out he went.

It was evident that the spirit that influenced him as a medium was no more at rest in the presence of the power that controlled Mrs. White in vision than were the demoniacs who inquired of the Saviour, "Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?" And like the Chaldeans mentioned above, he fled to "hide" himself. (Taken from The Prophetic Gift in the Gospel Church, pages 52-54. Some paragraph breaks added.)

Tuesday (March 10): Touched by an Angel

In today’s lesson we will look at heaven’s tender and compassionate response to Daniel’s prayer and fasting. The angel sent to help and comfort Daniel interacts with the aged prophet in powerful ways that bring to light the need of God’s people today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 10:10-19. How many times does the angel touch Daniel? (Three times.) Does this seem strange? Why wouldn’t a single supernatural touch be sufficient to strengthen and help Daniel? (The angel’s repeated touches indicate first the extent of the impact that the vision had on Daniel. Second, it reveals the compassion and care that God has for us. Even if a single touch from heaven “should” be enough for us, God does not give up on us.)
Read Daniel 10:10-14. What does the angel’s first touch do for Daniel? (It enables him to stand, hear, and understand God’s word.) Comparing Revelation 10:8-10, what parallel does this first “angel’s touch” have for God’s people in the Advent Movement today? (This movement began as people read, studied, heard, and believed in God’s prophetic word. New spiritual life never comes separately from a renewed interest in and acceptance of God’s word.)
Read Daniel 10:15-17. What does the angel’s second touch do for Daniel? (It enables him to speak.) Comparing Revelation 10:11, what commission are God’s people given after they have “eaten” the word of God? (They are to speak God’s word to the world.)
Read Daniel 10:18,19. What does the angel’s third touch do for Daniel? (It gives him strength.) Comparing Revelation 14:6 and 18:1, what kind of strength do God’s people need today to complete the mission given to them? (They need divine strength to share the everlasting gospel and the Three Angels’ Messages with the world!)

Wednesday (March 11): A Great Conflict

Throughout the book of Daniel the theme of the “great controversy” between God and Satan is revealed. Chapter 10 again focuses on the reality of a great spiritual battle involving all creatures in the universe. This time, the battle involves the king of Persia, the Jews in Jerusalem, heavenly beings and fallen angels. The book Prophets and Kings explains the situation in Daniel 10 this way:

While Satan was striving to influence the highest powers in the kingdom of Medo-Persia to show disfavor to God’s people, angels worked in behalf of the exiles. The controversy was one in which all heaven was interested. Through the prophet Daniel we are given a glimpse of this mighty struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus; and before the contest closed, Christ Himself came to Gabriel’s aid. “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days,” Gabriel declares; “but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Daniel 10:13. All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses, who reigned about seven and a half years. {PK 571.2}

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 10:20,21 and Ephesians 6:10-12. What kind of battle is described in these verses? (We are engaged in a spiritual battle that includes heaven and earth.) Do you think Daniel understood this? (Apparently he did, which is why he prayed so frequently and earnestly.) Based on what we have studied of Daniel’s life, what helped him maintain this “great controversy” worldview, even while living in Babylon? (First, he had purposed in his heart to remain faithful to God [see Daniel 1:8]. He recognized that his life was to be full of conflict between good and evil. Second, he studied the word of God faithfully [see Daniel 9:2], and this immersion in the prophetic word allowed him to view the events of life from a Biblical perspective. Third, he habitually prayed to God and relied on His power and wisdom [see Daniel 6:10 and 2:23].)
Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. In what ways do these verses reveal the spiritual battle that was being waged for the mind and will of King Cyrus? (Salvation is gained and lost primarily through the choices made by people in response to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the powers of darkness. The mind is like a fortress, or a “strong hold,” and its defenses can be trained to keep out either Satan or the Holy Spirit.) In Daniel 10, the angel from heaven says that he was struggling for 21 days to convince Cyrus to help the Jews. What does this reveal about the importance of our choices, and the strength of the spiritual forces battling for control of our minds? (Clearly, the battle is real, and the stakes are far higher than we often realize or admit.)

Thursday (March 12): A Victorious Prince

The name Michael literally means, “who is like God.” It is a fitting title for the divine, supernatural Being that fights for God’s honor and His people. The reference in Daniel 10:13 to Michael as “one of the chief princes” has caused some to question if this name can really refer to the Son of God. However, it is possible that this designation reflects the multiple personalities contained in the Godhead (compare Genesis 1:26). Others have argued that the word one in “one of the chief princes” actually means “the first of the chief princes,” and therefore exalts this Person as the head of the heavenly armies (compare Daniel 8:25). In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at Michael, the mysterious divine Warrior.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 10:13. Who comes to help the angel, presumably Gabriel, in his fight with the “prince of the kingdom of Persia”? (Michael.)
Read Exodus 15:11; Deuteronomy 33:29; and Isaiah 36:20. In these, and other similar passages, some form of the injunction “Who is like God” appears. What is the setting of these passages, and how is God portrayed in them? (In all of these passages, God is portrayed as a Warrior fighting for and defending His people.) What does this tell you about the character of God? What impact does this have on your faith in God? (Answers will vary.)
The proper name Michael appears four times in the Bible (in addition to Daniel 10:134) in reference to a supernatural being. Read the following passages in which this name is used and discuss what each one reveals about the character and work of Michael:
- Daniel 10:21. (Michael is Daniel’s prince. Though living in a land and empire controlled by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia,” Daniel ultimately served another Ruler. Michael also sustains and helps His angels in the great fight against evil.)
- Daniel 12:1. (Michael works for the deliverance of His people.)
- Jude 9 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16. (Michael is the archangel, and at the second coming He is the “Lord himself” that shouts with the “voice of the archangel” at the resurrection.)
- Revelation 12:7-9 and Luke 10:18. (Michael fought against Satan in heaven and cast him out of heaven. It is not surprising, then, that Jesus Christ—or Michael—said He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.)
Read the following passage from the book Prophets and Kings and discuss the responsibility we have to work and fight the Lord’s battles and not get sidetracked by other things in life. What encouragement should we gain from the assurance that Michael our Prince is fighting with us and for us? (Answers will vary.)

This was a time of wonderful opportunity for the Jews. The highest agencies of heaven were working on the hearts of kings, and it was for the people of God to labor with the utmost activity to carry out the decree of Cyrus. They should have spared no effort to restore the temple and its services, and to re-establish themselves in their Judean homes. But in the day of God’s power many proved unwilling. The opposition of their enemies was strong and determined, and gradually the builders lost heart. Some could not forget the scene at the laying of the cornerstone, when many had given expression to their lack of confidence in the enterprise. And as the Samaritans grew more bold, many of the Jews questioned whether, after all, the time had come to rebuild. The feeling soon became widespread. Many of the workmen, discouraged and disheartened, returned to their homes to take up the ordinary pursuits of life. {PK 572.1}

Friday (March 13): Daniel 10 and Spiritual Victory

As we close this week’s lessons on Daniel 10, we will look at several important keys to spiritual victory demonstrated in the life of Daniel.

Spiritual victory comes by exercising self-denial. In 2 Peter 1:4-7, temperance is listed as one of the essential rungs in the ladder to participating in the divine nature. Salvation can never be earned through self-denial, and neither can it be experienced without self-denial. From his youth, Daniel’s life demonstrated the power and importance of temperance on our spiritual connection with God.
Spiritual victory comes when we lift up our eyes. In Daniel 10:5 the prophet says that he lifted up his eyes and saw the Man clothed in linen. Prior to this he had been standing by the Tigris River, presumably looking at the water. Water in Bible prophecy can represent people, and Daniel received this communication and strength from heaven only as he looked away from people, and toward heaven.
Spiritual victory comes by humbling ourselves before God. “By [Daniel 10:12-13] we see that heavenly agencies have to contend with hindrances before the purpose of God is fulfilled in its time. The king of Persia was controlled by the highest of all evil angels. He refused, as did Pharaoh, to obey the word of the Lord. Gabriel declared, he withstood me twenty-one days by his representations against the Jews. But Michael came to his help, and then he remained with the kings of Persia, holding the powers in check, giving right counsel against evil counsel. Good and evil angels are taking a part in the planning of God in His earthly kingdom. It is God’s purpose to carry forward His work in correct lines, in ways that will advance His glory. But Satan is ever trying to counterwork God’s purpose. Only by humbling themselves before God can God’s servants advance His work. Never are they to depend on their own efforts or on outward display for success.” {Letter 201, 18899, emphasis added}
Spiritual victory comes through protection from heaven. “Over every man good and evil angels It is the man himself who determines which shall win. I call upon the ministers of Christ to press home upon the understanding of all who come within the reach of their voice, the truth of the ministration of angels. Do not indulge in fanciful speculations. The written Word is our only safety. We must pray as did Daniel, that we may be guarded by heavenly intelligences. As ministering spirits angels are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Pray, my brethren, pray as you have never prayed before. We are not prepared for the Lord’s coming. We need to make thorough work for eternity. {Lt201-1899, emphasis added}

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From Confession to Consolation (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 10)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (February 29): God of Answered Prayers

Of the many powerful lessons that stand out in the book of Daniel, one of the greatest is that God answers prayer. In Daniel 1, God answers the prayers of Daniel and his friends and leads their Babylonian guard to allow them to eat the food of God’s choosing. In Daniel 2, God answers their prayers again, and reveals the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel. In chapter 3, God answers the prayers of Daniel’s friends and protects them from a fiery death in the furnace. In Daniel 6, God again answers Daniel’s faithfulness in prayer by preserving him through a night in the lion’s den. And this week, as we study Daniel 9, we will see God’s dramatic answer to one of the Bible’s most beautiful prayers.

Sometimes it may be tempting to think, as we look at our own lives, that God doesn’t answer prayer in the same ways that we read about in these Bible stories. And yet, the Bible contains numerous promises that God will answer “Yes” to our prayers when we pray them according to the Word of God and the will of Jesus Christ. In today’s lesson we will look at several prayers that God promises to always answer “Yes.”

Discussion Questions:

Read the passages below and discuss in what way, and for what reason(s), God will always answer “Yes” to these prayers:
- 1 John 1:9. (The prayer for forgiveness and cleansing from sin.)
- Mark 9:14-24. (The prayer for more faith.)
- Matthew 26:36-39. (The prayer of submission to God’s will.)
- Luke 11:9-13. (The prayer for the Holy Spirit.)
What prayers has God answered in your life recently? In what way has this answered prayer strengthened your faith in God, in His character, and in the trustworthiness of His Word? (Answers will vary.)

Sunday (March 1): The Centrality of God’s Word

The prayer recorded in Daniel 9 came as a response to careful Bible study. Although God had revealed many wonderful things to Daniel through dreams and visions, the prophet still found it necessary to study God’s Word for himself. Daniel’s experience here illustrates well the principle found in 1 Corinthians 14:32, “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” Privileged as he was with direct communications from heaven, Daniel based his religious experience on the revealed and written Word of God passed down through the ages. Today, we have access to that same Word—and the same prophecies—that encouraged and guided Daniel so many years ago.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 9:1,2. What powerful key to Daniel’s prayer life is revealed in these verses? (Daniel prayed in response to the promises and prophecies contained in God’s Word.)
Read Jeremiah 25:11,12; 29:10; and Leviticus 26:14-45. What do these passages reveal? (Moses warned that captivity would be the result if Israel rebelled against God, while Jeremiah revealed the length of the captivity.) In what ways did these two prophetic passages help Daniel understand the times in which he lived? (Daniel was living at the end of the 70 years of captivity, and he realized that God had allowed this terrible experience because of the sins of His people.)
Read 2 Peter 1:19. What action on our part is necessary in order for the Bible’s prophecies to benefit us? (We must “take heed” to them and act on them.) What experiences have you had where you acted on a Bible promise or prophecy? What happened as a result? (Answers will vary.)
Read 2 Peter 1:16-18. In verse 19, Peter refers to the “more sure word of prophecy.” In verses 16-18, what is prophecy “more sure” than? (According to Peter, Bible prophecy is more sure than personal experiences we might have—even “more sure” than the experiences of those who were eyewitnesses of Christ’s miracles.) Read the passage below and discuss why it is so important for us today to develop unbreakable trust in God’s Word:

Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief. {GC 625.3}

Monday (March 2): An Appeal to Grace

Daniel’s prayer begins with a powerful appeal to God’s character. His character is revealed in His justice and mercy, and also in His prophetic Word given to humanity.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 9:4. What commandment is Daniel referring to here? (The second commandment.) For what reasons might Daniel have begun his prayer this way? (Daniel begins his prayer by referring to God’s character as the basis upon which his praise and petition will be based.)
Read Exodus 20:4-6. What does the second commandment reveal about God’s character? (God is both just and merciful.) How important are these two qualities in a time of judgment? What do they reveal about God as a Judge? (Answers will vary. Any judge who is not just is not fit for that office, and a good judge will, at times, show mercy and grace to those who do not deserve it.)
Read Matthew 6:9,10. In verse 9 of Christ’s model prayer, how are we encouraged to begin our prayers to God? (We are to call upon God’s name, which also points to His character, as the basis of our prayers to Him.) In verse 10, what else about the structure of our prayers is implied by praying, “Thy kingdom come”? (One of the most repeated prophecies in the Bible is the establishment of God’s kingdom at Christ’s second coming. By praying for God’s kingdom to come, we are praying as Daniel did by basing our prayers on Bible prophecy.) What aspects of God’s character are revealed by the fact that He has provided so many prophecies for us? (Answers will vary. God values communication and transparency, and wants to build our trust in Him.)
Read the passage below and discuss how basing our prayers on God’s character and Bible prophecy can help us achieve this experience:

There is no spiritual strength for us in constantly brooding over our weakness and backslidings, and bemoaning the power of Satan. This great truth must be established as a living principle in our minds and hearts—the efficacy of the offering made for us; that God can and does save to the uttermost all who come unto Him complying with the conditions specified in His word. Our work is to place our will on the side of God’s will. Then, through the blood of the atonement, we become partakers of the divine nature; through Christ we are children of God, and we have the assurance that God loves us even as He loved His Son. We are one with Jesus. We walk where Christ leads the way; He has power to dispel the dark shadows which Satan casts across our path; and, in place of darkness and discouragement, the sunlight of His glory shines into our hearts. {5T 741.1}

Tuesday (March 3): The Value of Intercession

In his prayer, Daniel exemplifies the importance and the power of intercession. In doing so he joins a list of other great intercessors found in the Bible, including Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and, of course, Jesus Christ. In Daniel’s life of service to God, this prayer of intercession stands as one of the most beautiful examples of his Christ-like character.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 9:5-16. In every verse, Daniel uses either the word we or us to identify himself with the rebellious Hebrew nation. What is revealed about Daniel’s character through the repeated use of these words? (As a member of the wayward nation, Daniel is identifying himself as one that needs God’s mercy and grace. In his role as their intercessor, he is presenting their needs of forgiveness and redemption.)
Read Hebrews 2:14-18 and 7:25. For what reasons did the Son of God need to be made “like unto his brethren” in order to be an effective Intercessor for humanity? (As our Intercessor, Jesus was made like us—though without sin—for two primary reasons: so that He could die as our Sacrifice [Hebrews 2:14], and so He could be a sympathetic and effective High Priest that can help us in our need [Hebrews 2:17,18].)
Read Daniel 9:16-19. Did God need Daniel’s prayer in order to fulfill His promises given through Jeremiah to bring His people back to Jerusalem after the 70 years of captivity? (Presumably not.) What was the value or importance, then, of Daniel’s intercessory prayer if God was going to keep His promises anyway? What value is there for us in praying for things that are already promised in the Bible? (Answers will vary. Perhaps the most important reason for us to pray these kinds of prayers of intercession is because Jesus Christ prayed this way. While we might not understand all the “rules” of prayer and how our prayers interact with God’s will in the great controversy, we can understand the importance of becoming more like Jesus Christ.)
Read the passage below and discuss why “a spirit of intercession” is such an important aspect of true revival and reformation:

In visions of the night, representations passed before me of a great reformatory movement among God’s people. Many were praising God. The sick were healed, and other miracles were wrought. A spirit of intercession was seen, even as was manifested before the great Day of Pentecost. Hundreds and thousands were seen visiting families and opening before them the word of God. Hearts were convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit, and a spirit of genuine conversion was manifest. On every side doors were thrown open to the proclamation of the truth. The world seemed to be lightened with the heavenly influence. Great blessings were received by the true and humble people of God. I heard voices of thanksgiving and praise, and there seemed to be a reformation such as we witnessed in 1844. {9T 126.1}

Wednesday (March 4): The Work of the Messiah

As Daniel is praying for God to forgive his people and restore Jerusalem, an angel comes “swiftly” (Daniel 9:21) from heaven and announces that he will give Daniel “skill and understanding” (Daniel 9:22). The prophecy that the angel gives performs several important roles: it predicts the timing of the Messiah’s appearing and the year of His death; it reveals the character of the Messiah’s work; and it provides the answer to the lingering question of the 2,300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14. In today’s lesson we will focus on the character of the Messiah’s work.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 9:24-27 and discuss how the following aspects of the Messiah’s work are reflected in the prophecy:
- (The prophecy begins with a 70-week, or 490-year, period of probationary time for the Hebrew nation to prepare for and announce the Messiah’s mission. In verse 26, it is the Messiah Himself who experiences the ultimate judgment on sin by being “cut off,” or killed as the atoning sacrifice.)
- Cleansing. (The Hebrew word translated as “transgression” indicates willful disobedience [compare Ezekiel 2:3]. The Messiah’s work to “finish the transgression” points to the sin problem being cured, not just forgiven.)
- (The Hebrew verb translated in the phrase “to make an end of sins” means “to seal” and indicates forgiveness of sins.)
- (Through forgiveness of, and cleansing from, sin, true reconciliation with God is possible.)
- (Through Christ’s power we can live righteous lives, and this will naturally be the result for someone that has been forgiven and cleansed of sin and reconciled to God.)
What other aspects of the Messiah’s work do you see in this passage? (Answers will vary.)

Thursday (March 5): The Prophetic Calendar

Daniel 8 and 9 present two of the Bible’s most important prophecies—the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 and the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24-27. Both of these time prophecies are connected and really form two parts, or two aspects, of a single prophecy that predicts the timing of the Messiah’s first advent and the beginning of the pre-advent judgment immediately before the second coming. The angel explains that 70 weeks, or 490 years using the Bible’s day-for-a-year principle of prophetic time, are “cut off” from a larger segment of time. This larger segment of prophetic time must be the 2,300 days, or years, in Daniel 8:14, because the angel told Daniel that he was come to give the prophet “understanding” (Daniel 9:22), something that he lacked at the end of the vision in Daniel 8 (see Daniel 8:27).

As the chart below shows, both of these prophetic time periods begin at the same time, in 457 BC when King Artaxerxes commanded that Jerusalem be rebuilt and restored (see Daniel 9:25 and Ezra 7). Near the end of this first 490 years of the prophecy, the Messiah would appear, or be baptized, then be killed. The 490 years ended with the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (See Acts 7). Moments before his death, Stephen declared that the Jews were rejecting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51-53), something that Jesus said could not be forgiven (Mark 3:28,29). Although individual Jews could still be saved after this time, just like anybody else, the unique mission of the Hebrew nation was, at Stephen’s death, brought to an end at the conclusion of its period of probation (compare Matthew 18:21,22).

At the conclusion of the 490 years in 34 AD, 1810 years remained of the 2,300-year prophecy in Daniel 8:14. In 1844, this time prophecy ended, marking the beginning of the heavenly judgment and the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary in the antitypical Day of Atonement. This work of cleansing is to be reflected in the lives of Christians here on earth (compare Ephesians 5:25-27) in preparation for Christ’s second coming, when His people will stand “holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

Friday (March 6): More Connections Between Daniel 8 and 9

Some people have questioned whether the 70-week prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 is really connected with the 2,300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14. In today’s lesson we will look at an important linguistic link between Daniel 8 and 9 that clearly shows how the 70-week prophecy “completes” the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14.

In Daniel 8:1-12, the Hebrew word chazown, translated as “vision,” is used to refer to what Daniel sees. This includes the ram, the goat, and the little horn. Daniel uses the same word in verse 15 when he says that he “had seen the vision.” However, in verse 16, when God commands Gabriel to “make this man to understand the vision,” another Hebrew word, mareh, is used. Although both Hebrew words are translated into English as “vision,” in Daniel 8 they refer to different parts of the vision. As already stated, chazown refers to what Daniel sees in verses 2-12. It is also used in verse 13 as the voices in heaven refer to what Daniel had seen in prophetic vision. The word mareh, however, consistently refers to what Daniel hears about in verse 14, and that is the 2,300-day or year prophecy.

In verse 26 Gabriel uses the word mareh when he says, “And the vision [mareh] of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision [mareh]; for it shall be for many days.” The part of the vision that is “shut up” is the mareh of the 2,300 days, not the chazown that includes the ram, goat, and little horn. After all, the angel in verses 20 and 21 explicitly explained two of these symbols! It is the mareh of Daniel 8:14 that the prophet does not understand, for in verse 27 he writes, “I was astonished at the vision [mareh], but none understood it.”

In Daniel 9:21, the prophet refers to “Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [chazown] at the beginning.” Notice, again, that Daniel uses the word chazown in reference to things he had seen in the vision of Daniel 8. However, when Gabriel speaks to Daniel, the angel uses the word mareh to point to the reason why he has come: “I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding, …[T]herefore understand the matter, and consider the vision [mareh].” Clearly, God has sent Gabriel to explain the part of the vision that Daniel had heard, but not seen, the mareh of Daniel 8:14. The rest of the chapter, Daniel 9:24-27, contains a time prophecy that explains the starting date of the time prophecy in Daniel 8:14. By providing a prophecy (Daniel 9:27) focused on Christ’s visible, earthly ministry, a prophecy (Daniel 8:14) that reveals Christ’s unseen, heavenly ministry is also explained!

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From Contamination to Purification (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 9)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (February 22): From Contamination to Purification

This week’s lesson, “From Contamination to Purification,” covers Daniel 8. This chapter stands at the center of Seventh-day Adventist history, eschatology, doctrine, and self-identification as Revelation’s remnant church. It summarizes, through the typology of the sanctuary services, the core of Revelation’s Three Angels’ Messages, and it reveals fundamental and essential aspects of the plan of salvation. Finally, it points to the true purpose of God’s redemption plan—the restoration in the soul of the image, or character, of God. In an age where many Christians have forgotten this true purpose, the study and understanding of Daniel 8 proves to be of the utmost importance.

The central theme of the Bible, the theme about which every other in the whole book clusters, is the redemption plan, the restoration in the human soul of the image of God. (Education, 125)

Discussion Questions:

Read Romans 11:26-27 and Matthew 1:21. What do these verses reveal about the extent of the plan of salvation? (God’s purpose, and His promise to humanity, is that He can save us from our sins.) How does the Bible’s phrasing of this promise differ from saying that God will save us in our sins? (The idea is a complete restoration of all that has been lost due to sin, rather than only forgiveness and pardon from sins committed. The difference is between a legal solution only, and a complete “rehabilitation” so that we are safe to be let free in the streets of New Jerusalem!)
Read Genesis 6:14. God instructed Noah to build and cover the ark on both the inside and the outside with “pitch.” The Hebrew word for “pitch” is kaphar, and usually in the Old Testament it is translated as “atonement.” What spiritual lessons might God use to draw from Noah’s covering of the ark with “the atonement”? (Answers will vary. Just like Noah and his family entered into the ark covered with pitch, God wants to cover us with the atoning blood of Jesus Christ on both the outside—perhaps representing external actions and legal pardon of sins—and on the inside, representing our will, motives, and heart.)
Read Exodus 25:10,11. How was this second ark in the Bible covered, and what might the spiritual significance be for us? (It was a wooden box covered with gold on the inside and the outside. The wood might represent humanity, and the gold may represent the character of Christ bringing both the external actions and the interior motives of the heart into line with God’s will.)

Sunday (February 23): The Ram and the Goat

Daniel 8 repeats, for a third time, the basic prophetic blueprint of world empires first laid out in Daniel 2. Yet, in this chapter, an angel interpreter clearly explains that the ram represents the kings of Media and Persia,” and the goat represents the “king of Grecia” (Daniel 8:20,21). This unmistakable identification of the first two symbols in this chapter not only guides us through our study of Daniel 8, but also confirms the repeated prophetic sequence of world empires found in Daniel.
Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 8:1-3, 20. It has often been noted that this vision begins with a representation of the Medo-Persian Empire, rather than the Babylonian empire as in Daniel 2 and 7. For what reasons might God have presented the vision to Daniel this way? (It has often been noted that the Babylonian empire was about to pass away, so God simply began the vision with the next empire. Another possible reason lies in the fact that this vision focuses on the cleansing and restoration of the temple and its services—two things that Babylon had attacked and destroyed. It was King Cyrus, a Persian, who first returned the Jews to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and ultimately begin its services once again. By beginning the vision with a focus on the empire under which the restoration of the earthly sanctuary took place, the vision’s overall emphasis on the cleansing and restoration of the heavenly sanctuary becomes more clear.

Read Daniel 7:4-7, 21. The ram and the goat are both described as being formidable and unbeatable foes—there was “none that could deliver” from either of them. In a vision that ultimately deals with what is happening in heaven, what point do you think the Bible is trying to make by focusing on the strength of these earthly powers? (In Revelation, God’s people are ultimately delivered by what God does in the heavenly sanctuary [compare Revelation 11:19 and 15:8; also Psalm 20:2]. This is a reminder of God’s ultimate power and authority over the kingdoms of this earth.)

Monday (February 24): The Rise of the Little Horn

As in Daniel 7, the little horn makes an appearance in Daniel 8. While Daniel 7 contains numerous helpful identifying characteristics of this symbol, it is Daniel 8 that reveals how the papacy ascended to political and religious power, and what exactly made it so destructive. Additionally, the angel interpreter provides valuable insights into the character and modus operandi of the papal power.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 8:9. The ram is described as “great” (verse 4), and the goat as “very great” (verse 8). How is the little horn described? (It is called “exceeding great.”) In what ways was this true historically? (The pagan Roman Empire was stronger, bigger, and longer lasting than any previous world empire.) The fourth beast of iron with 10 horns in Daniel 7 seems to be skipped, or at least glossed over, in Daniel 8. Instead, the vision jumps directly to the little horn, which represents a later phase of the Roman Empire. For what reasons might God have presented Rome in this way? (Remember that the focus of this vision is on restoration from sin and the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. By jumping directly to the papal power, the vision remains focused on the spiritual realities being communicated, rather than simply on the succession of world empires that has already been delineated twice in Daniel.)
Read the passage that follows and discuss the reasons that popery has held such an unbreakable sway over humanity for so long:

A large class, even of those who look upon Romanism with no favor, apprehend little danger from her power and influence. Many urge that the intellectual and moral darkness prevailing during the Middle Ages favored the spread of her dogmas, superstitions, and oppression, and that the greater intelligence of modern times, the general diffusion of knowledge, and the increasing liberality in matters of religion forbid a revival of intolerance and tyranny. The very thought that such a state of things will exist in this enlightened age is ridiculed. It is true that great light, intellectual, moral, and religious, is shining upon this generation. In the open pages of God’s Holy Word, light from heaven has been shed upon the world. But it should be remembered that the greater the light bestowed, the greater the darkness of those who pervert and reject it. {GC 572.1}

Some people argue that the little horn points to a man named Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Hellenistic king of the Seleucid Empire that reigned from 175 BC to 164 BC. His name means “God Manifest,” and he persecuted the Jews of Judea and Samaria and desecrated the temple services by offering a pig on an altar. What reasons can you think of that disqualify this interpretation of the little horn in Daniel 8?
- The little horn power appears in the middle of an apocalyptic prophecy that extends all the way to Christ’s second coming and the final judgment (Daniel 7).
- The little horn appears after the emergence of the Roman Empire and its disintegration into 10 parts in 476 AD (Daniel 7:7,8).
- The angel tells Daniel that the vision of which the little horn is a part concerns “the time of the end” (Daniel 8:17).
- The little horn has aspects of its activity that are delineated by prophetic time, which would not be appropriate if referring to only one man (Daniel 7:25).
- The little horn power is destroyed supernaturally (Daniel 7:11,26; 8:25).
- The little horn power appears to successfully attack Christ in heaven and His work in heaven’s sanctuary, something far beyond the scope of a single person (Daniel 8:9-12).

Tuesday (February 25): The Attack on the Sanctuary

Daniel 8:11-12 makes it clear that the little horn attacks both the truth in general and Christ’s work of intercession in the heavenly sanctuary. The fact that it “stamped upon” heavenly things (verse 10) reveals the ferocity and intensity of the papacy’s opposition to God, the Bible, and those who serve God. The vision also contains additional clues as to what sanctuary is attacked by the little horn, and, therefore, what sanctuary must be “cleansed” in Daniel 8:14.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 8:10-12. What activities of the little horn make it so destructive? (It takes on a spiritual or religious aspect and ends up attacking Jesus Christ, the “Prince of the host,” His heavenly sanctuary, and the truth.) According to verse 12, how successful is the little horn in its destructive mission? (It is very successful! The Bible says that it “practiced” and “prospered.”)
Read Psalm 77:13. How does this verse help explain why Satan, working through the little horn, has attacked heaven’s sanctuary so relentlessly? (God’s way of salvation is explained and enacted through the sanctuary. To attack the sanctuary is to hinder the plan of salvation, delay the second coming, and prolong the devil’s existence.) In what ways were the truths connected with the sanctuary attacked by the little horn? (Every item of the sanctuary was counterfeited, as outlined below.)
- The gate. People were taught that the church, rather than Jesus Christ, possessed the power to save people.
- The altar of burnt offering. Penance and human satisfaction for sins replaced faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
- The laver. Various forms of sprinkling, pouring, etc, replaced baptism by immersion.
- The table of showbread. The Bible was kept away from the common people in the “dead” Latin language.
- The candlestick. True missionary efforts nearly ceased during the middle ages.
- The altar of incense. Human priests replaced and obfuscated Jesus Christ’s work as heaven’s High Priest.
- The Ark of the Covenant and law of God. The second commandment was done away with and Sabbath sacredness was supposedly changed to Sunday.
Read the passage below and discuss the underlying reasons why the papal system has been so successful in turning people away from truth and from Jesus Christ. What warnings should we take from this history?

The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their mediator, and that none could approach God except through him, and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them, and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed. A deviation from his requirements was sufficient cause for the severest punishment to be visited upon the bodies and souls of the offenders. {SR 331.1}

Thus the minds of the people were turned away from God to fallible, erring, and cruel men—nay, more, to the prince of darkness himself, who exercised his power through them. Sin was disguised in a garb of sanctity. When the Scriptures are suppressed, and man comes to regard himself as supreme, we need look only for fraud, deception, and debasing iniquity. With the elevation of human laws and traditions was manifest the corruption that ever results from setting aside the law of God. {SR 332.1}

Wednesday (February 26): The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

The annual Day of Atonement in the Hebrew religious calendar was the most solemn day of the year for the Hebrews, and for good reason. It was regarded as the Day of Judgment, when the accumulated sins of the nation—stored symbolically in the sanctuary—would be “cleansed” from the camp, or, later, the nation. This impressive ceremony has much to teach us about concluding events in the plan of salvation leading up to Christ’s second coming.

Discussion Questions:

Read Hebrews 9:22,23. These verses plainly refer to the cleansing of an earthly and a heavenly sanctuary. According to these verses, why is that process so important? (Without the shedding of blood, and the cleansing that it brings, there is no forgiveness of sins.)
Read Hebrews 9:14. In addition to providing forgiveness of sins, what does Christ’s blood accomplish in the life of the repentant sinner? (It “purges your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”) What does that mean? (Answers will vary. Christ’s blood provides a way for God and the repentant sinner to come back into such a close relationship that obedience to God’s law is rendered out of a loving and thankful heart.)
Read Leviticus 16:29,30. What was the end result of the yearly Day of Atonement for Israel? (They were to stand clean from all their sins before God.)
Read Ephesians 5:25-27. What parallels do you see between God’s purpose for the Day of Atonement, and this prophecy about how Christ’s people will be when He returns? (The Bible promises that Christ will have a “glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,” but “holy and without blemish.”) This sounds a lot like the “perfect” sacrificial animals used in the sanctuary services. What is the Bible trying to tell us in this passage? (Answers will vary. Apparently, these people have so identified themselves with Jesus Christ that His righteousness has become theirs.)

Thursday (February 27): The Prophetic Timetable

Daniel 8:14, more than any other single Bible verse, fueled the Advent Awakening leading up to 1844. It continues to provide the reason for the Advent Movement today. Its importance goes much further than merely providing a date for the start of the pre-advent judgment. It also reveals “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16) and provides hope for every faithful servant of God in a world that has almost completely given itself over to the power of evil.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 8:13. What significant change occurs in Daniel’s vision in this verse? (He “hears” a question and then in verse 14 “hears” the answer. Compare this auditory part of the vision with the earlier portion [verses 2-12] where Daniel sees the actions of the ram, goat, and little horn unfolding.) Given that the fulfillment of Daniel 8:14 takes place primarily in the heavenly sanctuary, why is it important to realize that Daniel only hears what is happening there, and doesn’t see it? (Human beings have been able to witness with their eyes the fulfillment Daniel 8:2-12, as these symbols point to events and powers unfolding on earth. However, verses 13 and 14 refer to events that take place in heaven, and so it is fitting that he only hears about them. He, like us, must follow them with the “eyes of faith.”)
Read Daniel 8:14. It has often been observed that this is the longest time prophecy in the Bible. Indeed, it covers over one-third of earth’s history, according to the Biblical timelines. What reassurance does this particular prophecy give you regarding God’s knowledge of the future? What reassurance does it give you regarding His purpose for your life? (Answers will vary.)
Read the passage below from the book The Great Controversy and discuss the importance of understanding, and participating in, the judgment taking place in heaven right now:

The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them. {GC 488.3}

The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. … {GC 489.1}

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. If those who hide and excuse their faults could see how Satan exults over them, how he taunts Christ and holy angels with their course, they would make haste to confess their sins and to put them away. Through defects in the character, Satan works to gain control of the whole mind, and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome. But Jesus pleads in their behalf His wounded hands, His bruised body; and He declares to all who would follow Him: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29, 30. Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome them. {GC 489.2}

Friday (February 28): The Time of the End and the Year 1844

Many skeptics, both inside and outside the Seventh-day Adventist church, have questioned the validity of the year 1844 as an ending point of the time prophecy in Daniel 8:14. A common argument cites the fact that an “invisible” prophetic fulfillment taking place in heaven is impossible to disprove, and therefore can’t be regarded as legitimate. However, it should not be forgotten that one of the core messages in the book of Daniel is that earth and heaven are connected, and things that happen in one affect the other. This also holds true with the year 1844. A number of significant world events happened, or began, in 1844.

Frederich Engels and Karl Marx began forming working societies, which were the forerunners of the communist ideology. On November 19, 1844, Engels wrote to Marx:

“We are at present holding public meetings all over the place to set up societies for the advancement of the workers…These meetings are arranged on the spur of the moment and without asking the police…we succeeded at two meetings in thoroughly trouncing the pious; by a huge majority, everything Christian was banned from the rules…Christianity, which according to their own assertions forms the basis of the society, must nowhere be mentioned in the rules.” (http://marx.libcom.org/works/1844/letters/44_11_19.htm)

A few years later, in 1848, Karl Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto.

In 1844, Max Stirner, a German philosopher, wrote a book titled The Ego and Its Own, in which he helped lay the philosophical groundwork for many aspects of postmodern culture. One reviewer wrote of the book:

“He provides a sweeping attack on the modern world as dominated by religious modes of thought and oppressive social institutions, together with a brief sketch of a radical ‘egoistic’ alternative in which individual autonomy might flourish…Stirner's book can plausibly be claimed to…have influenced the tradition of individualist anarchism.” (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/max-stirner/)

In 1843 Margaret Fuller, a forerunner of the feminist movement and the sexual revolution that exploded in the 1960s, wrote a series of articles that broke many social norms of the times. In 1945 these articles were published in a book called Woman in the Nineteenth Century. The Encyclopedia Britannica says of the book, “The book’s unprecedented and frank discussions of marriage and relations between men and women also scandalized many” (britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221891/Margaret-Fuller#ref197247).
In 1844, Robert Chambers, an English scientist, wrote Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. This book provided a theological and philosophical stepping stone from creationism to evolution as the accepted view of origins. Charles Darwin wrote in the introduction to Origin of Species (published in 1859), “After five years’ work I allowed myself to speculate on the subject, and drew up some short notes; these I enlarged in 1844 into a sketch of the conclusions, which then seemed to me probable…”
In 1844 the Bahá’í Faith—which is influential in the United Nations—began. Its founder, Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad, became known as the Báb after he announced that “He was the bearer of a message destined to transform the spiritual life of humanity” (http://www.bahai.org/the-bab/). According to an official Bahá’í website, “At the time of the appointed hour in 1844 after the prescribed time allotted of the 2300 evenings and mornings (years) had passed away, the Bab arose…” (http://www.uhj.net/the-bab.html).

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From the Stormy Sea to the Clouds of Heaven (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 8)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (February 15): Repetition and Enlargement

In Lesson 1 the pattern of repetition and enlargement in the prophecies of Daniel was mentioned. Today we will take a closer look at that principle and see how it is applied not only in the book of Daniel, but also in other Bible passages.
Discussion Questions:

Read Isaiah 28:9,10. What is this verse saying about the way we should study the Bible? (In general, comparing scripture with scripture best reveals Bible truth.) Some Bible truths are relatively simple and can be grasped with a single verse. What examples come to mind? (Answers will vary.) Other Bible truths are more complex and require comparison of multiple Bible texts. What examples can you think of? (Answers will vary, and may include the investigative judgment, the mark of the beast, and the role of the United States in prophecy.) For what reasons do you think God has “hidden” some Bible truths more than others? (Again, answers will vary. A large part of our spiritual growth occurs as we exercise the “study muscle.” There are other truths that we may not be prepared to understand or accept immediately.)
Read the following passages and discuss in what ways they demonstrate the principle of repetition and enlargement:
- Isaiah 1:18
- Proverbs 2:3,4
- Psalm 51:7,10,17

Sunday (February 16): Four Animals

Daniel’s vision of the four animals emerging from the sea is highly symbolic—and it ranks as one of the most amazing prophecies in the Bible. The level of detail contained in this vision, and the sweeping panorama of history that it provides, is astonishing. When compared with the vision of the statue in Daniel 2, the meaning of its strange symbols becomes clear:

The lion represents Babylon (the head of gold in Daniel 2);
The bear represents Medo-Persia (the chest and arms of gold in Daniel 2);
The leopard represents Greece (the belly and thighs of brass in Daniel 2);
And the beast represents Rome (the legs of iron in Daniel 2).

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:1,2; Jeremiah 49:36,27; and Isaiah 57:20. What do the “wind” and the “sea” represent? (Strife among nations, more specifically war among the “wicked.”)
Read Daniel 7:3,17,23. What emerges from this strife among the nations of earth? (Four beasts.) What do they represent? (Four kings, or, more specifically, four kingdoms.) The fact that these kingdoms emerge from the strife among nations suggests that this strife is the source of the succession of empires and kings. How do we reconcile this with the statement in Daniel 2:21 that God sets up and removes kings? (God can use even those that do not recognize or serve Him to accomplish His purposes.) What examples can you think of that demonstrate this reality? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 7:4-7.

Monday (February 17): The Little Horn

Read Daniel 7:8. For hundreds of years, Protestants (and even some Roman Catholic scholars, as we will see in Friday’s lesson) have recognized the little horn as representing the papal system. What clues do you see in this verse that point to the legitimacy of that conclusion? (It is also a political power, as is referenced by its “horn” status. The timing of its emergence after the 10 horns that represent the nations of western Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. It destroys three horns just as the papal power destroyed the Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths between 476 AD and 538 AD. It is led by a man with the “eyes of a man,” and it speaks “great things,” or blasphemies.)
Read Daniel 7:19-20 and Revelation 17:6. These two verses describe the same basic power, though in different phases of its existence. What do you think made both Daniel and John so fascinated with this power? (Answers will vary. Certainly the success of its destructive power against the saints would have raised concerns for both of the prophets.)
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 1 John 2:22, and Revelation 13:1. Bible scholars generally recognize that these various names (main of sin, son of perdition, lawless one, antichrist, and beast) refer to the little horn. For what reason might the Bible refer to this power by so many names? (Jesus Christ also has many names in the Bible, and the antichrist power mimics the genuine in as many ways as possible, including the multitude of names. Each names also reveals an aspect of its character and activity.)

Tuesday (February 18): The Court Was Seated

After witnessing the destructive activities of the little horn, Daniel’s attention is directed upward to a much more peaceful, though solemn scene—a courtroom and judgment in heaven. Although the idea of judgment might evoke fear for many readers, this judgment brings salvation and redemption for God’s people.
Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:9,10,21-26. What do these verses reveal about the impact of events on earth with what takes place in heaven? (There is a direct connection between what happens on earth and what happens in heaven.) What does this tell you about God’s character? (He is concerned with what happens on earth, and with what happens to people. He is personal and involved in the affairs of earth, and works for the good of those that serve Him. Therefore, He is a God that can be trusted.) What does the fact that “ten thousand times ten thousand” angels stand around God’s throne in the judgment suggest to you? (Heavenly beings are also interested in what takes place on earth. Even more, they are interested in how God is addressing the problem of sin.)
Read Daniel 7:10. Heaven’s judgment involves the opening of “books.” What does this suggest to you? (Answers will vary. God is doing everything possible to demonstrate that His judgment, and His response to sin, is fair, just, and transparent. Everything is documented so that every intelligent being can be assured of His justice.)
Read Acts 17:31. What does the fact that God’s judgment is “scheduled” to occur at a specific time in earth’s history mean to you? (Just as the prophecies in Daniel reveal that God is in control of the rise and fall of nations, they also reveal that history is moving forward to a grand climax, and God is in charge of this too.) Although we may not understand why God’s timetable often seems so long, what reassurance can we gain by realizing and remembering that He is in control? (Answers will vary.)

Wednesday (February 19): The Coming of the Son of Man

The “coming of the Son of Man” in Daniel 7 depicts one of the most important events in salvation history—the culmination of the heavenly judgment and Christ’s receiving of His kingdom. In today’s lesson we will compare a fascinating parable that Jesus told shortly before His death about a nobleman that goes to a “far country” to receive His kingdom.
Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:13,14. The “coming” pictured here is not the second coming, but the approach of Jesus Christ in heaven towards God’s throne. What does this suggest about the importance of what is happening here? (It’s very important!)
Read Luke 19:11-15 and discuss its application to the prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14 and its historical fulfillment beginning in 1844:
- 11. (In this parable, Jesus is going to explain why He won’t immediately set up God’s kingdom on earth when He arrives in Jerusalem. The advent believers were expecting something similar leading up to 1844 as they awaited the second coming and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth.)
- 12. (Here Jesus compares Himself to a nobleman that travels to a far country—heaven—where He will receive a kingdom, and then return. In a similar way, Daniel 7:13-14 reveals that in 1844 [more on this date in the next lesson] Jesus began receiving His kingdom in heaven. When this process is complete, He will return. Daniel 7:14 also reveals that Christ’s kingdom is comprised of people that serve Him.)
- 15. (When Jesus returns at the second coming, He will have already “received” His kingdom of people. That is, final decisions will have already been made and it will be too late at that point to reverse the course of our lives. Today is the day to surrender your life to Christ!)

Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim: “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!” It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips. As the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth with the same enmity to Christ and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation in which to remedy the defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained by this. A lifetime of transgression has not softened their hearts. A second probation, were it given them, would be occupied as was the first in evading the requirements of God and exciting rebellion against Him. {GC 662.2}

Thursday (February 20): The Holy Ones of the Most High

Daniel refers to the joyful recipients of God’s favorable judgment are the “holy ones of the Most High,” the same group as Revelation’s “saints.” In today’s lesson we will discover what God does for this group of people. More importantly, we will see how we can be part of this privileged group.
Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:18,21,22,25,27. What about this group of people stands out to you? (Answers will vary. They appear powerless against the little horn power, but are given what appears to be nearly instant victory at the time of the judgment. They also must possess great endurance and patience and faith in God when for so long it appears that He has left them to be destroyed.)
Read Daniel 8:24 and 12:7. What other name is this group given in these verses? (The “holy people.”) What does this title suggest to you? (Answers will vary. In the face of great injustice toward them, they have lived with true religion—with just lives lived toward others and with victory over sin [compare James 1:27]. Most importantly, they have experienced God’s promise of righteousness by faith and it has made a practical difference in their lives.)
Read Exodus 19:6. What other group of people did God call to be holy? (The Israelite nation.) What additional title did God give them? (A nation of priests.) What does Leviticus 10:8-11 suggest about this title as it applies to all of God’s people? (Every Christian is to live in a way that glorifies God. They are to recognize sin and avoid it. They are to live and teach the law of God to the people around them.)

Friday (February 21): Preterism and Futurism

Historicism views the apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as being fulfilled continuously through history from the time of the prophet (at least usually) until Christ’s second coming. However, two other primary methods of prophetic interpretation—preterism and futurism—have also found their way into Christianity. In this lesson we will take a brief look at these interpretive systems, their origins, and the impact that they have had on Christianity.

Futurism places the Bible’s predictions of the antichrist power far into the future, to be fulfilled immediately before the second coming. Today, millions of Christians believe in this end-time scenario that places the danger of the antichrist in the future. Where did this idea come from?

In the sixteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church developed several strategies to counteract the Protestant reformation and its identification of the little horn power with the Papacy. One of these strategies, first proposed by the Jesuit priest Francisco Ribera (1537-1591) and Cardinal Robert Ballarmine (1542-1621), was to create the alternate method of prophetic interpretation called futurism. It nicely removed the papacy from the spotlight as the Protestant Reformers claimed that it fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel’s little horn.

Two men named Nelson Darby and Cyrus Scofield eventually picked up their ideas. Darby and Scofield adopted the principles of futurism in their prediction of the Antichrist’s rise during a seven-year tribulation at the end of time. An interesting article in Time magazine sheds light on the origins of the pre-tribulation rapture theory.

The man with the plan was an Anglican priest turned traveling evangelical preacher named John Nelson Darby, who arrived in the U.S. in 1862 for the first of seven visits, bearing a radical new eschatology. Darby and minister Cyrus Scofield, who would expand the evangelist’s ideas in the vastly influential Scofield Reference Bible, divided God’s relationship with man into seven ages (the current sixth began with the death of Christ). Their vision grimly upended the previous wisdom. Far from getting ever better, things on earth would progressively worsen, until the Antichrist, also known as the Beast, arose. A seven-year, hell-like Tribulation would begin, survived by only a small human remnant. Not until then would Christ return, defeat the Antichrist and commence his Millennium. Much of Darby’s scriptural synthesis had been suggested piecemeal by earlier thinkers.

His most striking innovation was the timing of a concept called the Rapture, drawn from the Apostle Paul’s prediction that believers would fly up to meet Christ in heaven. Most theologians understood it as part of the Resurrection at time’s very end. Darby repositioned it at the Apocalypse’s very beginning, a small shift with large implications. It spared true believers the Tribulation, leaving the horror to nonbelievers and the doctrinally misled, thus moving Christianity’s us-vs.-them concept of heaven and hell into a new and exciting theater.^[1]

Many Christians have unwittingly accepted this unbiblical method of prophetic interpretation and are waiting for a silent, secret rapture that the Bible never says will occur. Through the lie of a pre-tribulation rapture, the spirit of antichrist has convinced millions that they need not be prepared to suffer as Christ did because they will (supposedly) already be in Heaven when the tribulation begins. Yet the Bible cautions us to put on the “whole armor of God” so that we can “withstand in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13). Christ’s promise is that if we do this, we will “stand against the wiles of the devil” (verse 11) and overcome. Jesus suffered in the flesh, and we must be prepared to do the same.

Preterism, while opposite from futurism in its prophetic trajectory, has a similar origin and has accomplished a similar purpose. As Wikipedia explains,
Preterism, a Christian eschatological view, interprets some (partial preterism) or all (full preterism) prophecies of the Bible as events which have already happened. This school of thought interprets the Book of Daniel as referring to events that happened from the 7th century BC until the first century AD, while seeing the prophecies of Revelation as events that happened in the first century AD. Preterism holds that Ancient Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian church at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Historically, preterists and non-preterists have generally agreed that the Jesuit Luis de Alcasar (1554–1613) wrote the first systematic preterist exposition of prophecy—Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi (published in 1614)—during the Counter-Reformation.

^[1] David Van Biema and Amanda Bower, “The End: How It Got That Way.” Time, 160/1 (July 1, 2002).

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From the Lions’ Den to the Angel’s Den (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 7)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 8 Feb 2020 00:00:01 -0600

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Sabbath (February 8): From the Lions’ Den to the Angel’s Den

The lessons this week conclude our study of Daniel 1-7, what is often referred to as the narrative portion of Daniel. We have seen repeatedly that the stories in these chapters contain remarkable parallels with many of Revelation’s prophecies. That pattern continues in these lessons. The parallels between Daniel 6 and the Third Angel’s Message in Revelation 14:9-12 are striking:

Daniel is filled with the Holy Spirit (Daniel 6:3), just like the saints in Revelation have received the seal of God through the Holy Spirit (Revelation 7:1-3 and Ephesians 1:13).
Daniel keeps the law of God (Daniel 6:5) and demonstrates unshakeable faith, just like the saints “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
Daniel’s enemies cannot find any fault in Daniel (Daniel 6:4), just like the saints stand without fault before God’s throne (Revelation 14:5).
Daniel’s enemies choose to attack him based on his observance of God’s law (Daniel 6:5), just like the saints pressured to receive the mark of the beast, which will be another end-time attack on God’s law (Revelation 13:15-17).
Daniel is pressured to participate in false worship of the king (Daniel 6:6-8), just like the saints are pressured to participate in false worship (Revelation 13:15 and 14:9).
Daniel is condemned to death for remaining faithful to God (Daniel 6:13-16), just like the saints are (Revelation 13:15).
God delivers Daniel from the plots of the wicked (Daniel 6:21,22), just like the saints will be delivered (Revelation 15:1,2).
Daniel’s enemies suffer the same fate that they had intended for Daniel (Daniel 6:24), just like those who receive and enforce the mark of the beast will be destroyed (Revelation 14:10,11).

Discussion Questions:

Read 1 Corinthians 10:11 and Romans 15:4. For what reasons has God provided historical “pictures,” or types, of end-time events? How has understanding these parallels helped you grow in your own faith in God? (Answers will vary.)

Sunday (February 9): Jealous Souls

Daniel 6 records a plot to destroy Daniel, a prophet of God and the Persian Empire’s highest ranking administrator under Darius. The plot, concocted by Daniel’s jealous colleagues, aimed at Daniel’s political demise and his complete destruction. As we discovered in yesterday’s lesson, the plot against Daniel contains many parallels with Revelation’s prophecies surrounding the mark of the beast. Today, we will look more closely at the intense investigation that Daniel’s enemies launched against him, how he was found blameless, and what that means for us today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 6:1-4. How significant is it that Daniel’s enemies could find no fault in his work, loyalty to the king, or even in his private life? What does this reveal about Daniel’s character? (Daniel was a genuine and authentic servant of God, which also made him a faithful, committed, trustworthy, and efficient worker. The fact that his enemies could find no fault in him after days, weeks, or even months of scrutiny testify to the purity of his character. Compare Daniel’s experience with what we are told will happen to God’s faithful people at the end of time: “All who in that evil day would fearlessly serve God according to the dictates of conscience, will need courage, firmness, and a knowledge of God and His Word, for those who are true to God will be persecuted, their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, and their names cast out as evil” [The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 431,432].)
Read Daniel 6:5. What was the only thing that Daniel’s enemies could finally find to use against him? (His loyalty to God and obedience to God’s law.) What promise and encouragement does Daniel’s experience leave for us today? (It should encourage us to know that it is possible, with God’s help, to live in such a way that our private and public lives can stand up to the closest scrutiny—and pass the examination even of our enemies.)

Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness, and contempt of authority. They will be accused of disaffection toward the government (The Great Controversy, p. 592).

Read 1 John 4:17. What does this Bible promise mean to you? What does it reveal about how we should be living our lives every day, not just when people are looking closely? (Answers will vary.)
Read the statement below and discuss what it reveals about how God’s church should be preparing for the crisis ahead:

For the outpouring of the Spirit every lover of the cause of truth should pray. And as far as lies in our power, we are to remove every hindrance to His working. The Spirit can never be poured out while variance and bitterness toward one another are cherished by the members of the church. Envy, jealousy, evil surmising, and evilspeaking are of Satan, and they effectually bar the way against the Holy Spirit’s working. Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church. Nothing is guarded by Him with such jealous care. Nothing so offends God as an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His service. He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and discouraging. {6T 42.1}

Monday (February 10): The Plot Against Daniel

When Darius signed the decree drafted by Daniel’s enemies, he not only “set in stone” a blasphemous human law, but also directly attacked God’s law. In today’s lesson we will look at the plot against Daniel and its parallel attack on God’s law.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 6:6-9. How would you characterize the law that was drafted in an effort to destroy one man? (In their hatred for Daniel, his enemies unwittingly created a situation that would bring the entire empire—or at least those within the empire that obeyed the law—into violation of God’s law. In their effort to destroy the servant of God, they were willing to condemn themselves and everybody else who might obey their law.)
Read Daniel 7:23-25. In what ways are the attacks against God and the saints at the end of time similar to those brought against Daniel? (They both involve an attack against the law of God. The question seems to be: Are God’s laws or man’s laws more important, more powerful, and more enduring?)
Read Daniel 7:26,27. What comfort and encouragement should we draw from these verses? (God will prevail in the conflict with sin and the powers that oppress His people and His law.)
Read Psalm 119:121,122. How do these verses explain Daniel’s commitment to, and faith in, God? (Daniel had “purposed in his heart” to obey and serve God, and now in this time of crisis he entrusted his fate to the God that he served.)
Read Psalm 119:126. In what way was this verse fulfilled for Daniel? In what way will it be fulfilled for all of God’s faithful people at the end of time? (Answers will vary. While God sometimes allows His people to be persecuted because of their obedience to Him, He frequently comes to their rescue when the forces of evil make it illegal to serve Him. Examples include Pharaoh’s persecution of the Israelites, Haman’s efforts to annihilate the Jews, and the stories found in Daniel 3 and 6. Revelation’s prophecies reveal that at the end of time, God will again work to deliver His people just before they are destroyed.)

Tuesday (February 11): Daniel’s Prayer

When Daniel was faced with a decree prohibiting worship of the true God, he simply continued living, and praying, as he always had. The lesson is a simple yet powerful one that every Christian today should emulate.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 6:10. How did Daniel respond to the worship law that had just been passed? (He essentially ignored it and continued praying and worshipping as he always did.) Was this a wise move on his part? (Not according to human wisdom, but Daniel was not depending on human power to save him.) Did Daniel expect God to deliver him? If not, what would have been the motivating factor in his decision to violate Darius’s law? What does his example mean for us today? (Answers will vary.)
Read Psalm 55:16,17. Did Daniel’s three-prayers-a-day regimen begin in his time of crisis, or was this a habit that he had formed before this? (Compare Daniel 6:10. Daniel had been praying three times a day “aforetime,” and he simply continued this habit when the crisis struck.) What very practical lesson does Daniel’s commitment to daily prayer hold for us? (His daily prayer and time with God was the source of his courage and faithfulness.)
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17. What did this advice mean for Daniel? What should it mean for us today? (Answers will vary.)
Read the statement below and discuss the various aspects of Daniel’s character and lifestyle that are good role models for us:

The case of Daniel was presented before me. Although he was a man of like passions with ourselves, the pen of inspiration presents him as a faultless character. His life is given us as a bright example of what man may become, even in this life, if he will make God his strength and wisely improve the opportunities and privileges within his reach. Daniel was an intellectual giant; yet he was continually seeking for greater knowledge, for higher attainments. Other young men had the same advantages; but they did not, like him, bend all their energies to seek wisdom—the knowledge of God as revealed in His word and in His works. Although Daniel was one of the world’s great men, he was not proud nor self-sufficient. He felt the need of refreshing his soul with prayer, and each day found him in earnest supplication before God. He would not be deprived of this privilege even when a den of lions was opened to receive him if he continued to pray. {4T 569.1}

Wednesday (February 12): In the Lions’ Den

God’s preservation of Daniel in the lions’ den is one of the most dramatic revelations of God’s power in the entire Bible. The impact of this miracle was demonstrated immediately as the pagan king Darius referred to Daniel’s God as “the living God.” As we have been seeing throughout this lesson, this entire story—and the revealing of God’s power in it—are types of what will happen at the very end of time.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 6:11-23. For what reasons did God allow Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ den, rather than intercede for him prior to this? (God allowed this for the same reasons that He allowed Daniel’s three friends to be thrown into the fiery furnace—their deliverance was more dramatic, God’s power more clearly seen, and their faith strengthened and purified to a great degree, by trusting God to the point of death.)

God did not prevent Daniel’s enemies from casting him into the lions’ den; He permitted evil angels and wicked men thus far to accomplish their purpose; but it was that He might make the deliverance of His servant more marked, and the defeat of the enemies of truth and righteousness more complete. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee” (Psalm 76:10), the psalmist has testified. Through the courage of this one man who chose to follow right rather than policy, Satan was to be defeated, and the name of God was to be exalted and honored. {PK 543.3}

Read Daniel 6:20 again. What is so significant about how Darius refers to Daniel’s God? (He refers to Him as “the living God.” This is a title that, other than in this story, is always used by worshippers of God [compare Deuteronomy 5:26; Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 17:26; and 2 Kings 19:16].) What does this suggest about the impact of Daniel’s deliverance on Darius? (He had to acknowledge that Daniel’s God was “the living God.”)
Read the passage below and discuss any similarities that you see between Daniel’s experience and the events that will take place in the closing scenes of earth’s history:

When the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honor the law of God, there will be, in different lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction. As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the people will conspire to root out the hated sect. It will be determined to strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall utterly silence the voice of dissent and reproof. {GC 635.1}

The people of God—some in prison cells, some hidden in solitary retreats in the forests and the mountains—still plead for divine protection, while in every quarter companies of armed men, urged on by hosts of evil angels, are preparing for the work of death. It is now, in the hour of utmost extremity, that the God of Israel will interpose for the deliverance of His chosen. Saith the Lord; “Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth ... to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel. And the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.” Isaiah 30:29, 30. {GC 635.2}

With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness, deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying company. The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their mocking cries die away. The objects of their murderous rage are forgotten. With fearful forebodings they gaze upon the symbol of God’s covenant and long to be shielded from its overpowering brightness. {GC 635.3}

Thursday (February 13): Vindication

Psalm 7:15-16 reads, “He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.” The somber reality of these verses was played out in the destruction of Daniel’s enemies as they suffered the same fate that they had intended for Daniel. At the same time, Daniel—and his God—is vindicated, and he enjoys the prestige and power that they had hoped for.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 6:24. While the execution of Daniel’s enemies and their families is difficult to read about, what important realities should this story remind and warn us of? (Several lessons stand out. First, it is ultimately futile to fight against God and those that serve Him. Second, every act will be brought into judgment. Third, sin leads to destruction. Finally, the wicked will be “recompensed in the earth,” that is, in the same place that they plotted and committed their sins [see Proverbs 11:31].)
Read Daniel 6:25-27. What do you make of Darius’s second decree in this chapter? Is it any more just than the first decree? Why or why not? (Enforcing worship of God is no more just than prohibiting worship of God, for any effort to compel the conscience runs contrary to the principles of heaven.) Unjust though it may be, what does Darius’s second decree reveal about lessons he has learned about “the living God”? (He has learned that Daniel’s God is the only true God. His decree is also an expression of praise, sifted though it may be through a pagan and autocratic mindset.)
Read Daniel 6:28. This is the last historical glimpse we get of Daniel. We aren’t told how long Daniel lived after this, or how long he served the king. But we are told that he “prospered.” How do you think this was true for Daniel? (Answers will vary.) What promise does Daniel’s “prospering” give to us today? (If we are faithful to God, we too will experience His blessing and prosper—if not in this life, then certainly in the next.)

Friday (February 14): Daniel, the Mark of the Beast, and Justification by Faith

Earlier this week we noted numerous parallels between Daniel 6 and the Third Angel’s Message of Revelation 14. While the Third Angel’s Message warns against receiving the mark of the beast, its core message focuses on what we should receive—the righteousness of Christ. Consider this statement that reveals the connection between Revelation 14:9-12 and justification by faith:

“Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, “It is the third angel’s message, in verity” (The Review and Herald, April 1, 1890; 1SM 372.)

In the Bible, the term justification refers to a judicial act of God in which He pardons the sins of those who believe in Christ and treats them as righteous in the eyes of the law. As Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains, “It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom 5:1-10).”

In printing terminology, the word justification refers to the aligning of text within the margins of a page, and this use of the term illustrates well the practical results of genuine conversion and justification. God’s Word is creative and powerful, and when He declares a person justified, His Word also begins a transformation in that person’s life that brings them into alignment with the holy law of God. Easton’s Bible Dictionary points out that “[j]ustification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness (2Cr 5:21; Rom 4:6-8).”

This helps explain how “justification by faith is the third angel’s message.” As the final conflict between God’s law and man’s law develops at the end of time, and as the mark of the beast is enforced, the decision each person makes will determine whether they possess Christ’s righteousness—and His power to live in fulfillment of God’s law—or their own faulty “righteousness,” which is really no cleaner than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 12:3. What does this verse reveal about the witnessing and lifestyle of God’s saints—those that are “wise”—at the end of time? (They will be living with Christ’s righteousness, and will be teaching others how to claim God’s power to live lives in harmony with God’s law.)
Read Daniel 12:10. The importance of “understanding” God and His Word occurs repeatedly in the book of Daniel. What does this verse imply the wicked—those who do not understand—will not experience? (They will not be “purified, and made white, and tried.” In other words, they won’t receive Christ’s righteousness.) Within this context, what is true understanding? (To experience Christ’s righteousness in one’s life is to truly understand.)

Those who presume to think that the law of God has been done away, and that it no longer exists, have set up an imperfect standard of their own. Measuring themselves by their own finite standard, they pronounce themselves pure and perfect. Satan has just such a standard, by which he declares that he is righteous; but these false standards cannot compare with God’s unerring standard of righteousness. No one who has an appreciation of the verity of the law of God will claim an exalted character for himself. Our true position, and the only one in which there is any safety, is that of repentance and confession of sins before God. Feeling that we are sinners, we shall have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is able to pardon transgression, and impute unto us righteousness. When the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, then the sins of the repentant soul who received the grace of Christ and has overcome through the blood of the Lamb, will be removed from the records of heaven, and will be placed upon Satan, the scapegoat, the originator of sin, and be remembered no more against him forever. The sins of the overcomers will be blotted out of the books of record, but their names will be retained on the book of life. The True Witness says, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” When the conflict of life is ended, when the armor is laid off at the feet of Jesus, when the saints of God are glorified, then and then only will it be safe to claim that we are saved and sinle}ss. True sanctification will not lead any human being to pronounce himself holy, sinless, and perfect. Let the Lord proclaim the truth of your character. {ST May 16, 1895, par. 4}

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From Arrogance to Destruction (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 6)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 1 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (February 1): From Arrogance to Destruction

Daniel 5 continues the dramatic stories contained in the narrative section of the book of Daniel. A comparison of Daniel 5 and the book of Revelation reveals numerous parallels that are instructive and beneficial in our understanding of prophecy. Some of these parallels include:

Babylon as a place where God’s people are held captive (Daniel 1:3,4 and Revelation 18:4).
Pride as a defining characteristic of both Belshazzar and spiritual Babylon (Daniel 5:1,2 and Revelation 18:7).
Babylon’s denial and ignorance of impending destruction (Daniel 5:1 and Revelation 18:7).
Cyrus and his freeing of the Jews as a type of Christ conquering Babylon and freeing the saints from its persecution (Daniel 5:30,31 and Revelation 19:11-21).
The Euphrates river drying up as a prequel to its destruction (Isaiah 44:27 and Revelation 16:12).
Babylon’s blasphemous abuse of sacred objects (Daniel 5:2,3 and Revelation 17:3-6).
Idolatry a central aspect of Babylonian worship (Revelation 5:4 and Revelation 13:14,15).
Daniel and the saints at the end of time are delivered (Daniel 6:1-3 and Revelation 15:2).

Discussion Questions:

Read 1 Corinthians 10:11 and Romans 15:4. For what reasons do you think God has revealed so many parallels between historical events and events yet to happen in the future? God wants people to be prepared for the tests and trials that lie ahead of them. He wants them to recognize the importance of developing the faith that is necessary to stand at the end of time.) In what ways has studying prophecy and typological events helped you in your life? (Answers will vary.)

Sunday (February 2): Belshazzar’s Feast

The record of Belshazzar’s feast the night Babylon fell remains for us today as a warning of the danger of human pride. It also contains striking parallels with Revelation’s final events—parallels that we cannot ignore if we want to be among the “wise” people that Daniel speaks of in Daniel 12:3. Let’s take a closer look at this king’s final feast.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 5:1,3. While under the influence of alcohol, what bad decision does Belshazzar make? (He commanded that the sacred vessels from the temple in Jerusalem be brought to him.) What point might the king have been trying to make by doing this? (He was trying to prove that he and his gods were more powerful than the Hebrew’s God. He was also making a direct attack against the sanctity of the things that God had blessed.)
Read Genesis 2:2,3. What else has God blessed that Bible prophecy says will be attacked at the end of time? (The seventh-day Sabbath has been specially blessed by God and, according to Revelation 13 and 14, will be a central object of Satan’s attack at the end of time through the implementation of the mark of the beast.)
Read Daniel 5:4. What else characterized Belshazzar’s “worship” at his feast? (He “praised the gods” of nature and worshipped created things.) How might this be a parallel with the condition of our world today? (Modern society’s focus on materialism also tends to make people worship created things more than the Creator. More specifically, the emerging neo-pagan earth worship and its influence on the more radical fringes of the environmental movement also lead people to “worship” the earth rather than the One that created it.)
Read Isaiah 29:18-21. Rather than participate in Babylon’s blasphemy, what should we be focusing on in our lives? (Knowing and understanding God and experiencing His righteousness.)
Read Hebrews 11:6. How might the passage in Isaiah 29:18-21 help us understand better what it means to please God? (Answers will vary.)

Monday (February 3): An Uninvited Guest

God’s interruption of Belshazzar’s feast with the writing on the wall startled the king into a tardy recognition of God’s sovereignty. The reality of God’s judgment occurred too late for Belshazzar—by the time he fully understood what was happening, his doom was already sealed. In the same way, many people in this world will have their self-focused lives interrupted by Christ’s return. Too late they will recognize that there is a God in heaven, and that He is also the judge of all humanity.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 5:5-8. Why might God have chosen to interrupt Belshazzar’s feast with a hand writing on the wall? (God’s hand wrote the Ten Commandments. Belshazzar’s blatant disregard for God’s commandments was about to be visited with judgment. Also, Christ wrote the sins of some people in the dust, indicating that they could be forgiven. Belshazzar’s “sins,” in comparison, remained written on the wall, perhaps indicating that he had passed the point of his own personal probation.)
Read Revelation 14:7. The realization of God’s current judgment must have been a shock to Nebuchadnezzar. Is the reality of God’s judgment a welcome one in our world today? (No more than it was for Belshazzar.) Why not? (Answers will vary. A divine judgment requires the existence of a divine Judge and a divine law that defines absolute truth and unmovable standards of right and wrong. All of these ideas run directly counter to the postmodern mindset of today’s world, in which truth and reality are subjective.)
Read Matthew 24:37-42. In what ways might Christ’s warning in this passage have applied to the inhabitants of Belshazzar’s Babylon? How do they apply to us? (Babylon’s destruction, and Christ’s second coming, will be a surprise to those who are not looking for this to happen. Just as Belshazzar’s feast projected a sense of “normalcy” to the Babylonians on that fateful night, the amusements and business of this world will lull many into spiritual sleep even as Jesus Christ approaches with the angels of heaven.)

Tuesday (February 4): Enter the Queen

When Belshazzar’s wise men could not interpret the writing on the wall, the queen, probably Belshazzar’s mother, reminded him about Daniel, and suggested that the frightened king call in this aged statesman and servant of God (Daniel 5:9-12). Let’s take a closer look at the reason why no one but Daniel could read the writing on the wall.

Discussion Questions:

Read Romans 1:18-32. What made the sins of Belshazzar, and those described in Romans 1, so bad? (They knew who God was, and presumably, they also knew about God’s law, at least in a basic, fundamental way. Yet, they chose to forget both.) What warnings can we learn from these passages about the danger of ignoring truth, and not acting on it? (Answers will vary.)
Read the passage below and discuss why the devil’s plan to make man forget God has been so successful, and how we can resist his temptations:

From the beginning it has been Satan’s studied plan to cause men to forget God, that he might secure them to himself. Hence he has sought to misrepresent the character of God, to lead men to cherish a false conception of Him. The Creator has been presented to their minds as clothed with the attributes of the prince of evil himself,—as arbitrary, severe, and unforgiving,—that He might be feared, shunned, and even hated by men. Satan hoped to so confuse the minds of those whom he had deceived that they would put God out of their knowledge. Then he would obliterate the divine image in man and impress his own likeness upon the soul; he would imbue men with his own spirit and make them captives according to his will. {5T 738.1}

It was by falsifying the character of God and exciting distrust of Him that Satan tempted Eve to transgress. By sin the minds of our first parents were darkened, their natures were degraded, and their conceptions of God were molded by their own narrowness and selfishness. And as men became bolder in sin, the knowledge and the love of God faded from their minds and hearts. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God,” they “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” {5T 738.2}

Christ came to reveal God to the world as a God of love, full of mercy, tenderness, and compassion. The thick darkness with which Satan had endeavored to enshroud the throne of Deity was swept away by the world’s Redeemer, and the Father was again manifest to men as the light of life. {5T 738.4}

Wednesday (February 5): Weighed and Found Wanting

When Daniel reads the writing on the wall, it does not take him long to understand its meaning. Although it was no doubt difficult to tell Belshazzar the truth, Daniel did not hesitate to reveal the message of doom to the terror-stricken king. In today’s lesson we will take a close look at what those mysterious words on the wall meant.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 5:18-23. For what reasons might Daniel have first explained to Belshazzar his sins, before explaining the judgment pronounced against him? (Probably so that he would realize the justness of God’s judgment.)
Read Daniel 5:24-28. These were Aramaic words, written in a language that the king and his wise men knew well. Why, then, couldn’t they interpret the meaning? (First, they were all probably under the influence of alcohol. Secondly, this was a spiritual message and it required a certain amount of spiritual discernment and perception to understand the meaning. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:14 and John 8:47.)
How might we apply God’s words of warning to Belshazzar, to our lives today?
- MENE means “numbered, or counted.” In what way do we all live in a “numbered” or “counted” period of time? (This life is a probationary time in which we are to prepare for heaven.)

There will be no future probation in which to prepare for eternity. It is in this life that we are to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. This is our only opportunity to form characters for the home which Christ has made ready for those who obey His commandments. {COL 319.1}

TEKEL means “weighed.” If Belshazzar’s sins were being weighed in figurative scale of God’s judgment, what might be the “counterweight” in the opposing scale? (The righteousness of Christ.)

God is love. He has shown that love in the gift of Christ. When “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” He withheld nothing from His purchased possession. (John 3:16.) He gave all heaven, from which we may draw strength and efficiency, that we be not repulsed or overcome by our great adversary. But the love of God does not lead Him to excuse sin. He did not excuse it in Satan; He did not excuse it in Adam or in Cain; nor will He excuse it in any other of the children of men. He will not connive at our sins or overlook our defects of character. He expects us to overcome in His name. {COL 316.3}

Those who reject the gift of Christ’s righteousness are rejecting the attributes of character which would constitute them the sons and daughters of God. They are rejecting that which alone could give them a fitness for a place at the marriage feast. {COL 316.4}

PERES means “divided.” Belshazzar was literally divided from his kingdom through death. What do we need to be divided from so that we can successfully stand in the judgment? (We must be divided from sin.)

If you cling to self, refusing to yield your will to God, you are choosing death. To sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire. If you choose sin, and refuse to separate from it, the presence of God, which consumes sin, must consume you. {MB 62.1}

It will require a sacrifice to give yourself to God; but it is a sacrifice of the lower for the higher, the earthly for the spiritual, the perishable for the eternal. God does not design that our will should be destroyed, for it is only through its exercise that we can accomplish what He would have us do. Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified and refined, and so linked in sympathy with the Divine that He can pour through us the tides of His love and power. However bitter and painful this surrender may appear to the willful, wayward heart, yet “it is profitable for thee.” {MB 62.2}

Thursday (February 6): The Fall of Babylon

At least three important theological points can be derived from the Bible’s story of the fall of Babylon (taken from The Book of Daniel by Elias Brasil de Souza, p. 59):

The Holy Spirit empowered Daniel’s life and ministry in Babylon, and, in some sense, this was attested to by the queen of Babylon (Daniel 5:11).
God wants us to learn from the past experiences of others (1 Corinthians 10:11).
God’s sovereignty is one of the most important theological emphases of the entire book of Daniel. In both the narrative and prophetic sections of the book, this point is continually brought out (Daniel 2:21; 4:37; 5:23; 5:26,27; 7:26,27).

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 5:29-31. What warnings can we take from Belshazzar’s life, and death, that can help prevent us from sharing his fate? (Answers will vary.)

Belshazzar had been given many opportunities for knowing and doing the will of God. He had seen his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar banished from the society of men. He had seen the intellect in which the proud monarch gloried taken away by the One who gave it. He had seen the king driven from his kingdom, and made the companion of the beasts of the field. But Belshazzar’s love of amusement and self-glorification effaced the lessons he should never have forgotten; and he committed sins similar to those that brought signal judgments on Nebuchadnezzar. He wasted the opportunities graciously granted him, neglecting to use the opportunities within his reach for becoming acquainted with truth. “What must I do to be saved?” was a question that the great but foolish king passed by indifferently. {BEcho April 25, 1898, par. 10}

Babylon fell quickly, in a single night. How might this apply typologically to the destruction of spiritual Babylon at the end of time? (Spiritual Babylon will fall quickly and, for those not expecting its demise, unexpectedly.) What does this imply about the importance of “keeping watch” and being ready for Christ’s second coming? (Answers will vary.)
Read Genesis 11:1-9. What significance do you see in the fact that a confusion of language played an important role in both the collapse of the Babel kingdom, and later in the destruction of Babylon? Might a similar “confusion of language” play a role in the final destruction of spiritual Babylon at the end of time? If so, how? (Answers will vary.)

Friday (February 7): The Fall of Babylon and Present Truth

Daniel made it clear to Belshazzar that the great sin leading to his destruction was his failure to remember the lessons that Nebuchadnezzar had finally learned. After recounting Nebuchadnezzar’s experiences with the God of Israel, Daniel said to Belshazzar, “And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this” (Daniel 5:22). In other words, Belshazzar had been given an opportunity to understand and act on the truth, but he chose not to. 2 Peter 1:12 says, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” In today’s lesson, we will take a deeper look at the Biblical concept of “present truth,” and why it is so important to act on what God reveals to us.

At key points in salvation history, God has consistently brought a “present truth” message for people to act on. These key moments in salvation history have also consistently shared several important elements, as outlined below and summarized in the table that follows:

“Present truth” combines a message explaining necessary action for survival or salvation (James 1:22). A message alone does not save people; it must be acted upon.
Survival or salvation depends on obedience to the present truth message (Acts 2:37,38). The action that God calls people to through the present truth message is always obedience to His Word.
“Present truth” builds on “previous truth” (2 Peter 1:20,21). God never ignores or contradicts His previous messages (Matthew 5:17-19), but He does bring new light, understanding, and tests to His people (1 John 2:8).
The tests and decisions involved in present truth are often unique to time and place (Hebrews 3:12-19).
Tests of present truth frequently occur in a time of judgment at the end of a time prophecy (see chart below).
There is frequently a prophet raised up to announce the end of the prophetic time period, the judgment that is coming at the end of that time period, and the present truth that, if acted upon, will result in salvation (see chart below).

Examples of Present Truth Messages in Salvation History
Prophetic Time Period	Judgment	Prophet Sharing the Present Truth Message	Present Truth Message
120 years	Destruction of the world by water	Noah	Build and get in the ark
400 years	Judgments on Egypt	Moses	Smear the Passover lamb’s blood on the doorpost
70 years	Fall of Babylon	Zechariah/Haggai	Return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple
69 week (483 years)		John the Baptist	Accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah
69 ½ weeks (midst of final 7 years)	Judgment of this world (John 12:31)	Jesus Christ	Accept Christ’s death and resurrection
70 weeks (490 years)	Judgment on the Jewish nation	Stephen	Accept Christ’s role as Mediator and Judge in heaven
2300 years	Pre-advent judgment begins	Ellen White	Necessity of experiencing righteousness by faith/preparation for translation

Discussion Questions:

Read 2 Peter 1:12. What was “present truth” for Belshazzar and the inhabitants of Babylon the night of his last feast? (The 70 years of Babylonian captivity were ended, Babylon was falling, and God still had a prophet in Babylon in the person of Daniel.)
What examples of “present truth” can you think of in the Bible? (Answers may include: Noah preaching about the flood and the call to get into the ark, Moses instructing the Israelites to smear blood on their doorposts on Passover night, and the opportunity given to the Jews by King Cyrus to return to Jerusalem.)
What is present truth for us today? (Answers will vary.)

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From Pride to Humility (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 5)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (January 25): From Pride to Humility

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” This truth was powerfully illustrated in the life of Nebuchadnezzar, ancient Babylon’s greatest ruler. And yet, remarkably, his experience is also a testimony to the power of God to change lives, and to transform a self-focused sinner into a humble disciple of Christ. In this week’s lesson we will look more closely at the journey from pride to humility that God led Nebuchadnezzar through, and discover how each of us must take that same journey if we will be saved.

Discussion Questions:

Read Matthew 5:3. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? For what reasons might Jesus have opened the Beatitudes, and the Sermon on the Mount, by talking about the importance of being “poor in spirit”? What is the promise associated with this blessing?
Read Isaiah 14:12-14. What did Lucifer lose through his pride and failure to manifest a “poor spirit”? (He lost his position in the kingdom of heaven.) What other sins often accompany the sin of pride? (Answers will vary. In Lucifer’s case he was also guilty of discontent, evil surmising, lying, stealing [in trying to usurp God’s throne], covetousness, and eventually murder.)
Read Philippians 2:5-8. What are some of the differences exhibited in Christ’s character, compared to Lucifer’s? (Answers will vary. The absence of pride is certainly a marked feature of Christ’s character.)
Read the following statement, and discuss what it reveals about the spiritual battle being waged for every person’s soul:

Satan’s aim had been to reproduce his own character in human beings. No sooner was man created than Satan resolved to efface in him the image of God, and to place his stamp where God’s should be. And he has succeeded in instilling into the heart of man the spirit of envy, of hatred, of ambition. In this world he has set up a kingdom of darkness, of which he, the leader in guilt, is prince. He desired to usurp the throne of God. Failing in this, he has worked in darkness, in crookedness, in deception, to usurp his place in the hearts of men. He has set up his throne between God and man, to appropriate the adoration that belongs to God alone (Manuscript 33, 1911). {6BC 1119.9}

Sunday (January 26): Is Not this Babylon the Great?

In Revelation, pride is a defining characteristic of end-time spiritual Babylon, just as it was in the tower builders at Babel, and in Nebuchadnezzar. In many ways, God’s call for His people to “come out” (Revelation 18:4) of Babylon is really a call for them to allow God to pull them from the clutches of human pride. In its place, God promises to re-create His character in them.

Discussion Questions:

Read Revelation 18:2-7. In what ways does verse 7 speak to the dangers of pride? (Pride is delusional, and here, it leads those trapped in their “Babylonian minds” to believe that they can live however they wish to, without fear of judgment from God. In Babylon’s case, the idea that God will not judge sin or hold people accountable for their decisions results from pride, arrogance, and willful ignorance of God’s true character.)
Read Daniel 4:10-12. For what reasons might God have used the symbol of a tree, as opposed to a head of gold, to represent Nebuchadnezzar in this dream? (Trees are used in the Bible to represent kings, nations, and empires [see Ezekiel 17; 31; Hosea 14; Zech. 11:1,2; Luke 23:31.] But the symbolism may go deeper. A head of gold is a man-made, static object, without life. Spiritually, it was a fitting symbol for the pagan king prior to God’s work in his life. A tree, however, is an organic, growing, divinely-created form of life, and as such it represented well the possibilities for new spiritual life that God was extending to Nebuchadnezzar.)
Read Psalm 1:1-3. What does a tree represent here? (It represents a righteous person.) How does the tree in this psalm represent God’s desires for Nebuchadnezzar? (God wanted him to find new spiritual life through a connection with Him, and surrender to Him.) What does the following passage reveal about what it means to be “rooted” in God?

Human histories relate man’s achievements, his victories in battle, his success in climbing to worldly greatness. God’s history describes man as heaven views him. In the divine records all his merit is seen to consist in his obedience to God’s requirements. His disobedience is faithfully chronicled as meriting the punishment he will surely receive. In the light of eternity it will be seen that God deals with men in accordance with the momentous question of obedience or disobedience. {TDG 352.3}

Read Psalm 1:4. If Daniel ever shared this verse with Nebuchadnezzar, what impact might it have had on the king, considering what happened to the image in his first dream? (Answers will vary. The promise that he could live in such a way that he would not be destroyed by the arrival of the stone kingdom could have been a captivating thought for the king.)

Monday (January 27): Warned by the Prophet

After interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel gave some advice to the king: “[B]reak off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor” (Daniel 4:27). This advice is the same as that given by God’s prophets through all time—to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep [oneself] unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Just like Nebuchadnezzar, we would do well to listen to this prophetic message from heaven.

Discussion Questions:

Read Proverbs 21:3; 1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-17; Amos 5:21,22; Micah 6:6-8. How would you summarize God’s prophetic message throughout the Old Testament? (To obey is better than sacrifice.) Although sacrifices were bloody and messy, God’s people in the Old Testament often ended up placing their trust and hope of salvation in the ritual of the sacrifice, rather than in desiring a true change of heart. Why might this be such an easy mistake to make, and do we do the same thing today? (Yes, we often do the same thing today. It is easier to believe that by attending church, doing penance, or even “praying for forgiveness,” that I have done all that is necessary to be saved. True surrender of the life to God is always a challenge. It is the hardest battle that we all face.)
Read John 8:11; 5:14. How would you summarize Christ’s prophetic message? (It was the same as the message given by the Old Testament prophets—forgiveness of sin should lead to a changed life lived in the strength of God to overcome sin.)
Read 1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 John 2:1; 1 Peter 4:1; and Jude 24. Is this the same message given by Christ and the Old Testament prophets? (Yes.) Why, then, do you think it is so challenging and difficult for many people to believe that God can actually give me victory over sin in my life? (Answers will vary.)
Read the following statements from the writings of Ellen G. White, and discuss how they reflect the same message given by God’s prophets throughout history:

Sin, however small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction. {SC 32.2}

There will be no future probation in which to prepare for eternity. It is in this life that we are to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. This is our only opportunity to form characters for the home which Christ has made ready for those who obey His commandments. {COL 319.1}

Tuesday (January 28): “The Most High Rules…”

A major theme in the book of Daniel is that God rules in heaven. In Daniel 2, the image of the metal man is destroyed when God’s stone kingdom strikes it and then fills the entire earth. In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar’s murderous plot to kill Daniel’s three friends is overruled when Christ walks in the fire with them. In Daniel 4, God humbles a proud pagan monarch. In Daniel 5, a divine messenger signals the end of Babylon’s dominion. In Daniel 6, God again overrules a murderous plot to destroy his servants. And in Daniel 7, God’s judgment stops and then destroys the little horn’s efforts to attack God and the saints. However, God’s involvement and work among humanity throughout history must, at some point, become personal for each one of us. This was the lesson that Nebuchadnezzar still had to learn.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 4:17,26. For what purpose did God allow Nebuchadnezzar to experience the loss of his kingdom, and his sanity, for seven years? (God allowed this to happen so that Nebuchadnezzar would acknowledge that God rules in heaven.) For what reasons is it so important to realize that God “ruleth in the kingdom of men”? Why isn’t it enough to believe that God exists in heaven? (Answers will vary. The difference lies in viewing God as an uninterested “initial cause” that started the universe in motion, or as a personal Creator and Savior Who has invested all of Himself in the welfare and salvation of humanity.) Which kind of God is easier to trust and surrender one’s life to? (A personal God is much easier to trust and surrender to!)
Read Revelation 18:5-7. What attitude is expressed by Babylon here that directly attacks God’s sovereignty and right to govern the affairs of humanity? (The idea that God either will not, or cannot, hold people accountable for their sins reveals a Babylonian mindset. This was the same “judgment dysphoria” revealed by Nebuchadnezzar, prior to his seven years of insanity.)
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-5. In what ways might this passage’s description of Christianity in the last days reveal the same problem shared by Nebuchadnezzar and “spiritual Babylon” in Revelation? (Many Christians at the end of time will believe that they can live however they want, as long as they have “a form of godliness.”)
Read the statement below, and discuss the warning that we all should take from Nebuchadnezzar’s experience:

Let men become lifted up in pride, and the Lord will not sustain them and keep them from falling. Let a church become proud and boastful, not depending on God, not exalting His power, and that church will surely be left by the Lord, to be brought down to the ground. Let a people glory in wealth, intellect, knowledge, or in anything but Christ, and they will soon be brought to confusion. {8T 127.2}

Wednesday (January 29): Lifting Eyes Toward Heaven

Nebuchadnezzar’s deliverance from the insanity of sin and pride occurred only when he finally lifted “up [his] eyes unto heaven” (Daniel 4:34). Suddenly, his “understanding returned,” and he was a changed man—in many ways! In today’s lesson we will look more closely at the significance of the king lifting his eyes to heaven.

Discussion Questions:

Read Ephesians 1:17-19. According to verse 17, what is the only way that the “eyes of our understanding” can be opened? (They can only be opened through the power of the Holy Spirit giving us wisdom and revelation.) In verses 18 and 19, what three things are promised to us when the “eyes of our understanding” are opened? (1. The hope of his calling. 2. The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. 3. The exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe.) Which of these three promises means the most to you, and why? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 12:10. In this verse, and in many other verses in Daniel, “understanding” God’s prophetic messages is very important. What three things, or experiences, does this verse reveal that will help us to “understand” God’s work in our lives today? (Being “purified,” “made white,” and “tried.”) What do you think each of these three things refers to? (Answers will vary.)
Read the statement below and discuss what it reveals about the importance for each of us to personally surrender completely to God:

God’s work of refining and purifying must go on until His servants are so humbled, so dead to self, that, when called into active service, their eye will be single to His glory. He will then accept their efforts; they will not move rashly, from impulse; they will not rush on and imperil the Lord’s cause, being slaves to temptations and passions and followers of their own carnal minds set on fire by Satan. Oh, how fearfully is the cause of God marred by man’s perverse will and unsubdued temper! How much suffering he brings upon himself by following his own headstrong passions! God brings men over the ground again and again, increasing the pressure until perfect humility and a transformation of character bring them into harmony with Christ and the spirit of heaven, and they are victors over themselves. {4T 86.2}

Thursday (January 30): Humble and Grateful

A few days ago, we examined many striking parallels between Daniel chapters 3-6 and the Three Angels’ Messages in Revelation 14. Today we will look more closely at the connections between Nebuchadnezzar’s changed heart in Daniel 4 and the First Angel’s Message.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 4:37. Based on his statement in this verse, how would you summarize King Nebuchadnezzar’s view on life after this experience? (Answers will vary. Apparently, he finally realizes that life is to be lived not for his glory, but for God’s glory.) What do you think he means by the statement, “[A]ll [His] works are truth”? (Answers will vary. Nebuchadnezzar had certainly experienced some of God’s “works,” and realized that all God does is for the salvation and benefit of His creatures.)

King Nebuchadnezzar, before whom Daniel so often honored the name of God, was finally thoroughly converted, and learned to “praise and extol and honour the King of heaven.” The king upon the Babylonian throne became a witness for God, giving his testimony, warm and eloquent, from a grateful heart that was partaking of the mercy and grace, the righteousness and peace, of the divine nature. {4BC 1170}

Read Revelation 14:7. In what ways does the First Angel’s Message parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s statement? (The First Angel calls people to live life with a focus on God’s glory and honor. Those who live and share this message will, in some way or other, have learned the same lessons that Nebuchadnezzar finally learned.)
Nebuchadnezzar’s story highlights the importance of the personal influence that we all have on other people. Read the statement below, and discuss the responsibility we have today to live in such a way that God can use us to impact other people:

In Daniel’s life, the desire to glorify God was the most powerful of all motives. He realized that when standing in the presence of men of influence, a failure to acknowledge God as the source of his wisdom would have made him an unfaithful steward. And his constant recognition of the God of heaven before kings, princes, and statesmen, detracted not one iota from his influence. {4BC 1170}

Read Revelation 14:6. Although the First Angel’s Message includes a call to give glory to God, it begins with a reference to the everlasting gospel. Why is it so important to always combine the gospel with the call to live life for God’s glory? (If we exclude the gospel, then the call to live for God’s glory becomes legalistic and ineffective.)

The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with Him of the new life in the kingdom of heaven. “Except a man be born again,” the Saviour has said, “he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that can lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will lead to watchfulness. It will purify the heart and renew the mind, and give us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. {9T 156.1}

Friday (January 31): Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon, and the Sabbath

One of the lessons that Nebuchadnezzar finally learned was that God “ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Daniel 4:25). In other words, as Creator, God has the right to determine the position and the purpose of the things He creates, including human beings. In today’s lesson we will look at the significance of this aspect of God’s power and its relation to the seventh-day Sabbath.

Discussion Questions:

Read Ezekiel 28:12-15. What position did God give Lucifer in heaven? (He was an “anointed cherub” surrounding God’s throne. His job was to explain and defend God’s character and His law before the universe.)
Read Isaiah 14:12-14. What decision did Lucifer make in heaven? (To fight against God and reject the position and purpose that God had given him in heaven.)
Read Genesis 2:2-3 and Exodus 20:8-11. In what ways does the fourth commandment directly reveal God’s right as Creator to determine the position and purpose of the things He has created? (The fourth commandment, perhaps more than any other, reveals God’s right to determine the position and purpose of His creation. By declaring the seventh day of every week as holy and blessed, God has created a recurring reminder of His power as Creator.)
Read Daniel 4:35-37. What evidence can we find in this passage that Nebuchadnezzar had finally learned to recognize God’s right to determine his position and purpose as a man? (Answers will vary.)

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From Furnace to Palace (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 4)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (January 18): From Furnace to Palace

The dramatic story of Daniel 3 contains many powerful and timely lessons for us today. In this week’s study we will see how Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, and the steadfast faith of the three Hebrews, provide a striking typological portrayal of the spiritual issues that will engulf the world at the very end of time. Even more importantly, this amazing story reveals the key to remaining faithful to God in our own lives, just as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did:

Thus these youth, imbued with the Holy Spirit, declared to the whole nation their faith, that He whom they worshiped was the only true and living God. This demonstration of their own faith was the most eloquent presentation of their principles. In order to impress idolaters with the power and greatness of the living God, His servants must reveal their own reverence for God. They must make it manifest that He is the only object of their honor and worship, and that no consideration, not even the preservation of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to idolatry. These lessons have a direct and vital bearing upon our experience in these last days. {HP 149.4}

Discussion Questions:

Read Ezekiel 28:11-15. In what setting did sin arise? (Sin arose in the heart of an angel who stood next to God in heaven. We could say, then, that sin began in Heaven’s “Most Holy Place.”)
Read Revelation 11:19. In what setting do the final prophetic events of Revelation take place? (John sees a door opened into the Most Holy Place in heaven’s temple, and immediately after earth’s final events are described in Revelation 12-19.) What does this tell us about the importance of understanding the lessons revealed by the sanctuary, its furniture, and its services? (It’s very important!)

The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them. {GC 488.3}

Read Isaiah 14:12-14. What was, and continues to be, the primary issue in the great controversy between good and evil? (Worship is the central issue. As we will discover later this week, the story of Daniel 3 centers on the issue of worship, and its setting even evokes a type of “sanctuary.”)
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4. What does this passage reveal about the setting of the antichrist power’s end-time assault on God and the saints? (This attack happens in the setting of “the temple of God.”)

Sunday (January 19): The Golden Image

Some time after Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the multi-metal man and the stone that crushes it, the king erects an enormous golden image on the plain of Dura. The scene that follows—an egomaniacal pagan king demanding worship from his followers—perhaps doesn’t surprise us too much given its ancient historical context. However, the lessons and warnings contained in this story are very relevant for us today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 1:19-20 and 2:46-47. Before this story in Daniel 3, God had given Nebuchadnezzar at least two prior experiences where the king could witness the power and wisdom of the Hebrews’ God. How would you describe the effect of those prior experiences on King Nebuchadnezzar? (Temporary and, ultimately, ineffective in changing the king.) What does this reveal about the difference between knowledge and conversion? (Knowledge can help lead us to conversion, but it doesn’t guarantee that we will surrender ourselves to God.) What does it tell you about God’s character that He keeps working with this pagan king through these various experiences? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 3:1. In spite of these prior experiences with the God of the Hebrews, what does Nebuchadnezzar create on the plains of Dura? (A golden image.)
Read Genesis 1:26,27. In what ways might Nebuchadnezzar’s erection of the golden image be an imitation or counterfeit of God’s work at creation? (Just as God “created man in his own image,” Nebuchadnezzar also “made an image of gold.” The Hebrew word tselem, translated as “image,” is used in both passages.) In what ways was Nebuchadnezzar’s image probably a reflection of himself? (It was made to glorify him, to signify the unending power of his kingdom, and to direct worship to himself.)
Read the statement below and discuss what it reveals about Nebuchadnezzar, and about us:

None but God can subdue the pride of man’s heart. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot regenerate ourselves. In the heavenly courts there will be no song sung, To me that loved myself, and washed myself, redeemed myself, unto me be glory and honor, blessing and praise. But this is the keynote of the song that is sung by many here in this world. They do not know what it means to be meek and lowly in heart; and they do not mean to know this, if they can avoid it. The whole gospel is comprised in learning of Christ, His meekness and lowliness. What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself.—Special Testimonies to Ministers and Workers, Series A, 9:61 (1897). {TM 456.2,3}

Monday (January 20): The Call to Worship

The name Dura literally means “walled place,” and given the story’s focus on worship, perhaps it is not a stretch to see this Babylonian plain as a type of counterfeit sanctuary. As we will see today, Revelation 13 reveals that the story in Daniel 3 is also a prophecy of things that will take place just before Christ’s second coming, when the world is united in false worship.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 3:1-7 and Revelation 13:11-18. Discuss and summarize any parallels you see between these two stories. Suggested answers include:
- Both stories occur under Babylon’s control and influence (Dan. 3:1 and Rev. 17).
- The erection of an image as the focus of worship (Dan. 3:1 and Rev. 13:14).
- The prominence of the number six (Dan. 3:1 and Rev. 13:18).
- The gathering of “all people” to worship the image (Dan. 3:2-3 and Rev. 13:14).
- The use of sensory cues to initiate the worship (Dan. 3:4-5 and Rev. 13:13-14).
- The enforcement of prescribed worship (Dan. 3:4-5 and Rev. 13:15).
- A death penalty enacted for failure to worship the image (Dan. 3:6 and Rev. 13:15).
For what reasons might God have allowed Nebuchadnezzar to build this image and demand worship from his subjects, including the three Hebrews? (God knew that this situation would ultimately provide an opportunity for His power and glory to be revealed through His faithful servants.) For what reasons do you think God will allow a similar situation to develop at the end of time as revealed in Revelation? (For the same reasons! God was glorified in a localized setting in Daniel 3, and He will be glorified before the entire world through Revelation’s final events.)

Tuesday (January 21): The Test of Fire

When the music starts playing on the plain of Dura, all the people fall down to worship. All, that is, except three—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their courageous stand of faith in the face of a fiery death continues to encourage and strengthen people today. Let’s take a closer look at their response to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 3:13-14. What connection is brought out here between service and worship? (They are really the same thing. Jesus said in Matthew 4:10, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”)
Read Revelation 13:16. Where can the mark of the beast be “received”? (In the forehead or in the hand.) What connection or significance might these body parts have with service and worship? (The hand signifies service, and the forehead indicates an attitude or decision to worship. In the end, it won’t matter whether we truly believe that Revelation’s beast power deserves worship, or if we merely “play along” and pretend to serve and obey. In God’s sight obedience and compliance in matters of worship are the same as mental consent and agreement.)
Read Daniel 3:15. What does Nebuchadnezzar’s statement here reveal about the real issue behind his demand for worship? (He believes that there is no God that can deliver people out of his hands. This is a direct assault on the existence, power, and goodness of the God of heaven.) In what ways is Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude reflected by the two beast powers at the end of time in Revelation 13? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 3:16-18. What is the most remarkable aspect of the three Hebrews’ faith to you? (Answers will vary. Their faith is similar to that of Jacob [Genesis 32:24-30] and Job [Job 13:15], both of whom remain faithful even when God seems to fight against them.)

The Hebrew worthies could not be consumed, because the form of the fourth, the Son of God, was with them. So in the day of the coming of the Lord, smoke and flame will be powerless to harm the righteous. Those who are united with the Lord will escape unscathed. Earthquakes, hurricanes, flame, and flood cannot injure those who are prepared to meet their Saviour in peace. But those who rejected our Saviour, and scourged and crucified Him, will be among those who will be raised from the dead to behold His coming in the clouds of heaven, attended by the heavenly host—ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.... {UL 261.5}

Wednesday (January 22): The Fourth Man

When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the flames of his execution chamber, he surely was shocked to see not three, but four men. In disbelief, he said, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25). God’s method of delivering His three servants from the fire speaks volumes about the character of God and His plan of salvation—He has chosen to deal with sin by passing through the fire with us.

Discussion Questions:

Read John 1:14. How significant is it to you that the Son of God “was made flesh”? (Answers will vary.) What does this reveal about God’s character? (God has not chosen to deal with sin in the least painful way to Him. Rather, He has demonstrated His willingness to share in the pain and agony of sin in order to save us from it.)
Read Hebrews 2:14-18. What additional insights does this passage reveal about the Son of God’s identification with the human race? (He truly became like one of us, in order to forgive us and redeem us from sin, and to re-create God’s image within us. We have a Savior that knows what the power and strength of sin is like, and that offers the power needed to overcome it.)
Read 2 Corinthians 2:2,3. What principle in this verse was illustrated in the lives of the three Hebrews? (God fulfilled His promise to live through them to such an extent that their words and their lives were a living testimony to the power and glory of God.) How can we each experience this same kind of relationship with God? (Answers will vary.)
Read the following passage and discuss the importance for every Christian of having this kind of experience with God:

How did that heathen king know what the Son of God was like? The Hebrew captives filling positions of trust in Babylon had in life and character represented before him the truth. When asked for a reason of their faith, they had given it without hesitation. Plainly and simply they had presented the principles of righteousness, thus teaching those around them of the God whom they worshiped. They had told of Christ, the Redeemer to come; and in the form of the fourth in the midst of the fire the king recognized the Son of God.... {CC 252.4}

He who walked with the Hebrew worthies in the fiery furnace will be with His followers wherever they are. His abiding presence will comfort and sustain. In the midst of the time of trouble—trouble such as has not been since there was a nation—His chosen ones will stand unmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God’s saints. Angels that excel in strength will protect them, and in their behalf Jehovah will reveal Himself as a “God of gods,” able to save to the uttermost those who have put their trust in Him.4 {CC 252.5}

Thursday (January 23): The Secret of Such a Faith

The faith of Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael is a shining example of true, Biblical, Christ-centered faith. For us living today at the end of time, obtaining and living this kind of faith is essential. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at what real faith is.

Discussion Questions:

Read the following verses in Hebrews 11 and discuss what each one reveals about faith:
- Hebrews 11:1. (True faith requires us to believe and act in the unseen spiritual realm, rather than merely in the visible physical realm.)
- Hebrews 11:3. (True faith is rooted in our acceptance of God’s role as Creator of all things, and in the power of His word.)
- Hebrews 11:5,6. (True faith believes that God exists, but it also goes far beyond this. It also believes in the loving and just character of God.)
- Hebrews 11:7. (True faith is reflected in our actions.)
- Hebrews 11:8. (True faith follows God’s leading even when it doesn’t make sense to us.)
- Hebrews 11:24-27. (True faith leads us to give up those things that stand between us and God’s will for our lives.)
Read Revelation 14:12. What does this verse reveal that true faith will lead us to do? (It will lead us to willingly and lovingly keep God’s commandments. Compare Romans 1:5, which explains that “we have received grace…for obedience to the faith,” and John 14:15, where Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”) For what reasons is obedience a natural result of faith? (Answers will vary.)
Read the statement below from the book The Desire of Ages, and discuss the importance of recognizing the difference between faith and presumption:

But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {DA 126.1}

Friday (January 24): Daniel and the Three Angels’ Messages

The books of Daniel and Revelation are both extremely important for us to understand today. Their individual messages are important, but an added blessing comes when we study them together. Consider the following statements, taken from the book Testimonies to Ministers, regarding the study of these two books:

We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Many of the prophecies are about to be fulfilled in quick succession. Every element of power is about to be set to work. Past history will be repeated; old controversies will arouse to new life, and peril will beset God’s people on every side. Intensity is taking hold of the human family. It is permeating everything upon the earth.... Study Revelation in connection with Daniel, for history will be repeated.... We, with all our religious advantages, ought to know far more today than we do know. {TM 116.2,3}

The books of Daniel and the Revelation should be bound together and published. …It was my idea to have the two books bound together, Revelation following Daniel, as giving fuller light on the subjects dealt with in Daniel. The object is to bring these books together, showing that they both relate to the same subjects. {TM 117.2}

When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience. They will be given such glimpses of the open gates of heaven that heart and mind will be impressed with the character that all must develop in order to realize the blessedness which is to be the reward of the pure in heart. {TM 114.3}

In today’s lesson, we will briefly examine one set of parallels between the books of Daniel and Revelation. We will expand on these parallels in the weeks to come, but today we will lay the basic foundation for this continued study.

The Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14 contain God’s last message of warning and mercy to the world before Christ’s Second Coming. These messages not only explain what is about to happen (the fall of Babylon and the mark of the beast), but, even more importantly, reveal how we should be living so that these final events do not rip us away from our faith in God. Given the importance of these messages in Revelation, it should not be surprising to find them reflected in the book of Daniel.

The book of Daniel contains living demonstrations of what it means to believe, and live, the Three Angels’ Messages. Below we will look at a short summary of some of these parallels, keeping in mind that future lessons will cover some of these stories in greater detail:

A few lessons back we discovered some of the many parallels between the erection of Nebuchadnezzar’s image in Daniel 3 and the enforcement of the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. In Daniel 3, there are three faithful Hebrews that stand up for God and true worship. Although threatened with death, God delivers them and glorifies His name in the process. In Revelation 13 and 14, God’s saints at the end of time face a similar situation, and prophecy reveals that they, too, will faithfully stand up for God and true worship by sharing and living the Three Angels’ Messages.
In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar finally learns what it means to live for God’s glory, and not his own. In Daniel 4:37 he writes, “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.” The connection with Revelation 14:7 should not be missed, where the first angel says, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
Daniel 5 records the fall of Babylon in the midst of a blasphemous and wicked party. The connections with the second angel’s warning in Revelation 14:8 is easy to see: “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Just as King Belshazzar “praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone” (Daniel 5:4), the merchants of spiritual Babylon at the end of time “mourn” when no one is left to buy their “merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet…” (Revelation 18:11,12).
Finally, Daniel 6 relates the faithfulness of Daniel in continuing to worship God even in the face of a law, with a death decree, demanding worship of King Darius (Daniel 6:4-11). Similarly, Revelation’s third angel warns about receiving the mark of the beast, which will involve worship laws and death decrees for those that refuse to comply (Revelation 13:15-16 and 14:9-10). God delivers Daniel from the lion’s den, just as He promises to deliver His saints at the end of time.

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From Mystery to Revelation (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 3)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (January 11): From Mystery to Revelation

Daniel 2 provides one of the Bible’s most important prophecies—a view of world history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon until Christ’s second coming and the eventual establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. Daniel’s interpretation of the dream revealed to Nebuchadnezzar, and to us, that God is ultimately in control of this world’s history:

In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man; the shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, above, behind, and through all the play and counterplay of human interest and power and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will.... {CC 250.3}

Several principle points emerge from Daniel 2, and these points will guide our study this week:

God is a God Who reveals Himself to humanity
The purpose of divine revelation and prophecy is to help us understand ultimate reality as it centers in God
Our choice is to either accept and live within that ultimate reality, or to deny and ignore it.

Discussion Questions:

Read 1 Timothy 3:16. What does it mean to you that God reveals Himself to humanity? What does this reveal about God’s character? (Answers will vary.)
Read Luke 24:25-27. What was the key that transformed these disciples’ experience from one of mystery, to one of revelation? (They understood Jesus Christ as the center of God’s Word, prophecy, and the current events in their lives.) In what ways is Jesus Christ still the key to help us properly understand God’s purpose for His church today, and the current events taking place in the world around us? (Answers will vary.)
Read John 14:29. What purpose of prophecy does Jesus bring out in this verse? (God gives us prophecy so that we may believe in His power and wisdom, and put our faith in Him.)
Read the following statement, and discuss the questions that follow:

The history of nations speaks to us today. To every nation and to every individual God has assigned a place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes. {PK 536.2}

In what way(s) is history a continuous revelation of God?
In what way(s) have the events of your life been a continuous revelation of God?

Sunday (January 12): The Immanence of God

The word immanence comes from the Latin immanere, which means “to dwell in.” It is a theological term used to express the idea that God dwells within His creation. Although some have taken the concept of God’s immanence to the unbiblical extreme of pantheism—the belief that the created world and the universe are God—the Bible makes it clear that God does indeed reveal Himself in and through creation (Romans 1:20), and that He desires to live within human beings (1 Corinthians 3:16).

The idea of God’s immanence was evidently one that the Babylonian “wise men” struggled with, for they admitted that they, at least, had no true connection with the divine (Daniel 2:11). As the story in Daniel 2 unfolds, however, it becomes evident that God was working to bring Nebuchadnezzar and his “wise men” face to face with several aspects of “ultimate reality”:

God can and does communicate with men
The gods of Babylon are false gods
The “wise men” of Babylon have no true connection with the false gods or the real God
God is in pursuit of Nebuchadnezzar, just as He is for every person today

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 2:11. What might the “wise men” have meant by this statement? (They apparently believed that the gods have no real interest in humanity, they are distant from the human situation, and there is no real connection possible between humanity and divinity.) What does this view imply about the possibility for humans to understand and participate in ultimate reality? (If ultimate reality is based in God, then this view would imply that it is impossible for humans to connect with God, or to understand or participate in ultimate reality.) How do you think Nebuchadnezzar felt about this admission by his “wise men”? (Betrayed and angry. In Daniel 2:12, Nebuchadnezzar’s death decree follows immediately after their admission.)
Read John 5:39 and 1 Peter 1:20,21. What do these verses reveal about how God communicates with humanity? (God speaks clearly and shares objective information with humanity through the Bible.) What does this say to you about God’s character? (Answers will vary.)
Read Revelation 13:12-14. This verse predicts that at the end of time, people will be making decisions about ultimate reality based on experientially-based phenomena such as perceptions of the senses and mysticism. Do we see this happening in the world today? (Yes! Postmodernism is in many ways built upon this subjective view of reality.) Even though we have objective information in the Bible, why do so many people today gravitate toward an experience-based religion? (Answers will vary.) How can we avoid making this mistake in our own lives, and corporately as a church? (Answers will vary.)

Monday (January 13): The Prayer

Facing the threat of execution along with the other wise men, Daniel and his friends prayed earnestly that God would reveal the king’s dream and its interpretation (Daniel 2:17-23). When God answered their prayers, Daniel responded with a beautiful prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 2:20. Daniel begins his prayer by praising God for His wisdom and power. For what reasons is this a good way to begin any prayer? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 2:21. For what reason would it have been comforting to Daniel and his friends to remember that God sets up and removes kings? (They were captive in a foreign land, serving a pagan king. It would have brought them great comfort to remember that God was in control, even in Babylon.) What does Daniel mean when he says that God gives “wisdom unto the wise”? (Perhaps he is making the same point that Jesus made in Mark 4:11, that the things of God are revealed to those who want to know them and will appreciate them, but they are hidden from those that have no interest.)
Read Daniel 2:22. What experiences have you had in your life that helped you realize that God “knoweth what is in the darkness”? (Answers will vary.) What kind of an impact have these experiences had on your relationship with God? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 2:23. God’s revelation of the king’s dream to Daniel resulted in the preservation of his life and that of his three friends. What things has God revealed to us today that provide specific, timely, and objective information that we should take action on? (Answers may include the importance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the reality of Christ’s ministry in the Most Holy Place, and end-time prophecies that alert us to the nearness of Christ’s return.)

Tuesday (January 14): The Image: Part 1

As Daniel stood in front of King Nebuchadnezzar, he said, “The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets” (Daniel 2:27,28). Daniel began his interpretation of the dream by reminding Nebuchadnezzar that what he was about to hear was not man’s opinion, but a direct revelation from God. As the following statement in Testimonies for the Church reveals, God’s power and wisdom provide the only true solution to the problems facing this world:

There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God’s word, they would find a solution of the problems that perplex them. {9T 13.3}

Discussion Questions:

Historical documents reveal that in ancient Babylonian culture, many people believed that the gods communicated through dreams, statues were a common element, and four-metal symbolism was also used. Why do you think God chose to communicate with Nebuchadnezzar using things that he was already familiar with? (First, God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to understand the dream once Daniel explained it. Second, God also wanted the king to remember the underlying message of the dream, and this was more likely to happen if it used symbols that the king was already familiar with. Third, God meets us where we are at, and then works to change us and transform us into something better.) What does God’s strategy reveal about God’s character? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 2:28. On what period of time does this dream focus? (The “latter days,” or the time of the end.) For what reasons would God reveal things so many thousands of years in advance? (To reveal His wisdom and power, and to guide and assure His people throughout history that He is in control.) What does this reveal about God’s character? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 2:36-39. Why would God reveal to a pagan king that his kingdom will eventually fall? What do you think the focus in Nebuchadnezzar’s life was at this point? (Building his kingdom and making it powerful, strong, and enduring. Just like Jesus revealed to the rich young ruler the aspect of his life that was keeping him separated from God (Mark 10:17-23), He was revealing to Nebuchadnezzar the focus of his life that would keep him separated from God.) What does this reveal about God’s character? (Answers will vary.)

Wednesday (January 15): The Image: Part 2

Daniel proceeded to explain and interpret the king’s dream. Nebuchadnezzar had seen a great image with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron and clay (Daniel 2:31-33). These four metals represented successive world empires, beginning with Babylon (vs. 37,38) and ending with Rome. The feet of iron and clay, and the stone that crushes them and the rest of the image, point to the time of the end, Christ’s second coming, and the eventual establishment of God’s kingdom on earth (vs. 43,44).

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 2:31. How did Daniel describe the appearance of the image? (It was “great,” its “brightness was excellent,” and its form was “terrible.”) In what ways is this image a fitting description of the evolutionary, humanistic worldview so prevalent in our world today? (Many people see humanity as advancing toward perfection and able to solve its own problems without help from any outside power.) How do you think this image reflected Nebuchadnezzar’s view of himself? (Pretty accurately. Maybe the face even looked like Nebuchadnezzar!)
Read Ephesians 4:11-13. How does the “perfect man” described in this passage contrast with the impressive image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream? (The “perfect man” represents humanity as it may be when united with Jesus Christ. Nebuchadnezzar’s image represents humanity independent of, and in opposition to, God.) What things define those people who are part of this “perfect man” in Ephesians 4:13? (Among other things, they are unified in faith and have the knowledge of God.)
Read Daniel 2:35 and Ephesians 4:14. What impact does “wind” have on the image of Daniel 2 and the “perfect man” of Ephesians 4? (The wind carries away the remnants of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, while it has no effect on the “perfect man” in Ephesians.) What lesson do you think we should take from this comparison? (Answers will vary. Everything not rooted in Christ will be swept away, while those that place their faith in Him will live forever.)
Read Daniel 2:40-43. What does it signify that the image rests on clay feet? (Unless our lives are submitted to God’s leading and control, everything we can do and accomplish in life is built on clay, or sand, as Jesus said in Matthew 7:26,27.)

Thursday (January 16): The Stone

Keeping in mind that Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 concerned the “latter days,” he must certainly have been intrigued by the meaning of the stone “cut out without hands” that strikes the image and breaks it into pieces (Daniel 2:34,35). While the king was perhaps familiar with the four-metal symbolism earlier in the dream, the symbol of the stone would have been something completely new. The stone and its destruction of the earlier metal kingdoms contains important lessons regarding the ultimate fate of our world:

The Bible reveals the general timing of the second coming, after the division of the iron kingdom (Rome) into several pieces, represented by the feet of iron and clay.
God’s kingdom on this earth will be a literal kingdom, just as real as the former world empires depicted by the four metals.
God’s kingdom will be the final kingdom to ever reign on earth; none other will ever destroy it.
The nature of God’s kingdom (represented as it is by a stone cut out “without hands”) will be far different from that of the human-led empires.

Discussion Questions:

Read John 14:29. Given the remarkable accuracy of this Bible prophecy in predicting the rise and fall of nations, what logical conclusion should we reach about the stone kingdom? (It, too, will come to pass.)
Read the following passages and discuss what they tell us about the foundation of God’s “stone kingdom,” and how we can be part of it:
- Exodus 31:18. (The law of God is the foundation of His government. Those who live in His kingdom will keep His law.)
- 1 Corinthians 10:4. (God’s kingdom is founded on the life, death, resurrection, and ministry of Jesus Christ. Those who live in His kingdom will accept Christ as their Savior and their King.)
- Matthew 7:24,25. (God’s kingdom is made up of those who build their lives upon Jesus Christ and God’s law.)

Friday (January 17): The Rock of Refuge

Daniel 12:1 describes a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” At this time, Michael, or Jesus Christ, will “stand up” for His people and deliver them. Then, as always, the Rock will be a place of safety.

Discussion Questions:

Read Psalm 27:4. Where does David say he wants to dwell? (In the temple.) How often, or how consistently, does he want to dwell there? (All the days of his life.) What spiritual lessons can we take from David’s wish? (Answers will vary. Our desire should be to pursue our relationship with God, and to build our faith in Him, every day.)
Read Psalm 27:5 and Psalm 91:1-4. Where, specifically, does David regard the place of safety to be? (In the Most Holy Place, above the mercy seat, under the wings of the cherubim.) What “rock” is in the Most Holy Place that David wishes to be set up on? (The “rock” points to both the law of God contained in the ark, and to Jesus Christ our High Priest, the Rock of our salvation.)
Read Psalm 27:5. At what time, or during what crisis, will it be so important to be hidden in the Most Holy Place? (During the “time of trouble.”)
Read Revelation 14:12. On what will God’s people be standing at the end of time? (At the end of time God’s people will be standing on both the law of God and Jesus Christ. The Three Angels’ Messages explain how to have this kind of experience.)

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From Jerusalem to Babylon (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 2)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 4 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (January 4): From Jerusalem to Babylon

About 600 years before Jesus Christ was born, Babylon invaded Judah and defeated Jerusalem several times. The first invasion in 605 BC resulted in many, but not all, of the temple treasures being captured. During this invasion Daniel, his friends, and many other Jews were taken captive to Babylon. In 597 BC the Babylonians returned and took “all the treasures of the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 24:13). At this time King Jehoiakim of Judah and the prophet Ezekiel were taken captive. Finally, when Judah’s King Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians returned and completely destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, and took still more captives to Babylon. This sad history sets the historical backdrop for the book of Daniel, and for our study of this week’s lessons.

Every institution established by Seventh-day Adventists is to be to the world what Joseph was in Egypt and what Daniel and his fellows were in Babylon. As in the providence of God these chosen ones were taken captive, it was to carry to heathen nations the blessings that come to humanity through a knowledge of God. They were to be representatives of Jehovah. They were never to compromise with idolaters; their religious faith and their name as worshipers of the living God they were to bear as a special honor. {6T 219.1}

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 1:1,2. Into what land did Nebuchadnezzar take the temple vessels? (The land of Shinar.) What other important Bible story took place in Shinar? (The building of the Tower of Babel, see Genesis 11:1-5.) How would you describe the attitude of the tower builders toward God, and those that worship God? (Answers will vary.)

The men of Babel had determined to establish a government that should be independent of God. … Their confederacy was founded in rebellion; a kingdom established for self-exaltation, but in which God was to have no rule or honor. Had this confederacy been permitted, a mighty power would have borne sway to banish righteousness—and with it peace, happiness, and security—from the earth. For the divine statutes, which are “holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12), men were endeavoring to substitute laws to suit the purpose of their own selfish and cruel hearts. {PP 123.1}

Read Revelation 18:1-4. How would you summarize the threats to God and His people made by spiritual Babylon at the end of time? (At its core, Babylon in the Bible represents humanity rebelling against God’s authority, God’s law, and God’s right to punish sin.)
Read Daniel 1:1-4. What two specific things, or groups of things, did Nebuchadnezzar take from Jerusalem to Babylon? (Temple vessels and “children of Israel, and of the king’s seed.”) What might the temple vessels represent spiritually today that are in danger of being taken captive to Babylon? (The Biblical and life-saving truths given by God to Seventh-day Adventists, such as the everlasting gospel sanctuary message, the Sabbath, prophetic insight into end-time events, and the Three Angels’ Messages.) What might the “children of Israel” represent today? (Daniel, his friends, and the other “children of Israel” taken captive to Babylon may represent God’s people today that are in danger of being swept away by every wind of false doctrine.)

Sunday (January 5): God’s Sovereignty

The Bible presents God as humanity’s Creator, and as One Who guides the affairs of men while respecting our freedom of choice. However, even though He allows us to make our own decisions, He does not promise to necessarily shield us from the results and natural consequences of those decisions. In today’s lesson we will take a closer look at how God’s sovereignty played out in the destruction of Jerusalem.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 1:1,2. What does verse 2 reveal about the true reason Jerusalem fell to Babylon? (“[T]he Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.” God allowed it to happen.) Do you think this was surprising to the Jews when it happened? Why or why not? (Among the many mistakes that Israel made in the Old Testament was the presumptuous belief that God would never allow them to be taken captive by their enemies. However, God had clearly warned through many prophets what would happen if they continued in rebellion and sin.) What lessons should we learn from their mistakes? (Answers will vary.)
Read the statement below from the book The Desire of Ages and discuss why ancient Israel may have been led to believe that God would overlook their continued, unrepentant sin. In what ways may the danger of presumption be facing God’s people today?

[P]resumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. {DA 126.1}

Read 2 Kings 21:10-16; 24:18-20; 2 Chronicles 36:14-17; and Jeremiah 3:13. For what reasons did God allow Jerusalem to be destroyed? (The many reasons include idolatry, violence, rebellion against God and earthly rulers, and rejection of the prophets.) Do we still face these dangers today? (Unfortunately, yes.) What can help us individually and corporately as a church avoid repeating the mistakes made by Israel and Judah? (Answers will vary.)

Monday (January 6): Faith Under Pressure

We have all faced situations that challenge our faith in, and faithfulness to, God. Yet these situations and times in our lives ultimately reveal the true quality of our love for God, just as it did for Daniel in Babylon. In today’s lesson we will look at some biblical “keys for success” when our faith is under pressure.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 1:3-5. What plans did the king of Babylon have for Daniel and the other young people taken captive from Jerusalem? (They were to be educated in the schools of Babylon and then “stand before,” or serve, the king.) How do you think Daniel felt when he realized that for the rest of his life he would be forced to live and work in an environment highly opposed to God and the principles of heaven? (Answers will vary.) How have you faced times of similar challenge and discouragement in your life? (Answers will vary.)

Let us be hopeful and courageous. Despondency in God’s service is sinful and unreasonable. He knows our every necessity. To the omnipotence of the King of kings our covenant-keeping God unites the gentleness and care of the tender shepherd. His power is absolute, and it is the pledge of the sure fulfillment of His promises to all who trust in Him. He has means for the removal of every difficulty, that those who serve Him and respect the means He employs may be sustained. His love is as far above all other love as the heavens are above the earth. He watches over His children with a love that is measureless and everlasting. {MH 481.4}

Read Proverbs 3:6. What principle of life is revealed in this passage? (If we make God first in our life, He will “direct our paths.”) What do you think it means that God will “direct our paths”? (Answers will vary. He will give us the faith and wisdom needed in every situation that we might face.) Do you think Daniel lived by this principle? (Yes!)

Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. {MH 481.2}

Read Daniel 1:21. What encouragement can we take from the fact that Daniel “continued” to serve God faithfully his entire life in Babylon? In what ways can his life be a role model for us? (Answers will vary.)

The life of Daniel is an inspired illustration of what constitutes a sanctified character. It presents a lesson for all, and especially for the young. A strict compliance with the requirements of God is beneficial to the health of body and mind. In order to reach the highest standard of moral and intellectual attainments, it is necessary to seek wisdom and strength from God and to observe strict temperance in all the habits of life. In the experience of Daniel and his companions we have an instance of the triumph of principle over temptation to indulge the appetite. It shows us that through religious principle young men may triumph over the lusts of the flesh and remain true to God’s requirements, even though it cost them a great sacrifice. {SL 23.1}

Tuesday (January 7): Firm Resolution

The enormity of Daniel’s challenge to remain faithful to God becomes clearer when we remember that Nebuchadnezzar’s objective was to completely re-educate and indoctrinate the Hebrew captives into the Babylonian worldview and religion. In a high-pressure environment like this, it would have been very easy for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to make compromises and eventually conform to the influences around them. The fact that they didn’t provides us with powerful testimonies to the power of the will.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 1:7-14. Many of us have read and heard this story so many times that we often fail to realize the risk that they took in refusing to eat the king’s food and wine. What thoughts do you think went through their heads as they tried to decide how to respond to this situation? (Answers will vary.) What clue are we given in verse 10 about the potential danger that their decision put them in? (It could risk their life and the life of Melzar, their “supervisor.”)
Read Joshua 24:15. What challenge did Joshua give in this verse that Daniel and his friends may have been remembering as they made their decision? (Obedience, and disobedience, to God is a choice. We have been given freedom of will to make that choice, and this freedom can never be taken away, even in extremely difficult and dangerous situations.)
Read the following passages about the power of the will and discuss the importance of this gift that God has given us:

The will is the governing power in the nature of man, bringing all the other faculties under its sway. The will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power, which works in the children of men unto obedience to God, or unto disobedience. {CG 209.1}

Read 1 Peter 4:12,13. Is there really such a thing as a small trial or temptation? Why or why not? (Answers will vary.) What does the following statement suggest about the significance of even “little” tests in our lives: “Those who do not overcome in little things, will have no moral power to withstand greater temptations” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 574)

Wednesday (January 8): Unblemished and Wise

The Bible is clear that God designed our bodies to be temples of the Holy Spirit, and that He wants to dwell within us (see 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19,20). The decision that Daniel and his friends made in Babylon in regards to their physical health sets the stage for their continued obedience and faithfulness to God in the years that follow. Their decision also provided God with an opportunity to make a powerful impression on those around them in Babylon.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 1:15,16. What was the result of Daniel’s “health challenge”? (He and his friends were healthier physically, and sharper mentally, than those that ate the king’s food and wine.) What impact do you think this made on Melzar? (He was at least impressed enough to allow them to continue their “Hebrew diet”!)
Read 2 Peter 1:3,4. What promise is given to us in this passage? (That we can be partakers of the divine nature.) What do you think this means? (Answers will vary. God has promised that He can restore His image, or character, in those that follow His laws and allow Him to work in their lives.)
Read 2 Peter 1:5-8. Temperance is included in the middle of this list of “Christian graces” that lead to sanctification. What does this reveal about the importance of how we treat our bodies? (It’s very important! God has created humanity with the physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of our beings combined.)
In the previous lesson we studied the power of the will. Read the passage below and discuss the relationship between appetite and the will:

Through appetite, Satan controls the mind and the whole being. Thousands who might have lived, have passed into the grave, physical, mental, and moral wrecks, because they sacrificed all their powers to the indulgence of appetite. The necessity for the men of this generation to call to their aid the power of the will, strengthened by the grace of God, in order to withstand the temptations of Satan, and resist the least indulgence of perverted appetite, is far greater than it was several generations ago. But the present generation have less power of self-control than had those who lived then. Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 37, 1890 {CD 167.2}

Thursday (January 9): Final Exam

The re-education of Daniel and other captives in Babylon followed a progression of experiences and lessons designed to change their worldview, value system, religious convictions, and allegiance. This re-education involved several steps, including:

Change of name. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are Hebrew names, and contain references to God (El and Yahweh). The Babylonian names given to them—Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—were names that praised Babylonian gods like Bel, Nabu, and Aku.
Learning a new language. The major languages of Babylon included Aramaic and Akkadian. Aramaic was an “international language,” and Akkadian was the literary language used to convey the religious and cultural traditions of the empire. In this stage students were exposed to stories and legends of Babylon.
Acceptance of a Babylonian worldview. The final stage in Babylonian re-education was to bring the captive to an acceptance of a Babylonian worldview. The purpose of this goal “was twofold: to fill the student’s mind with the theological and political ideology current in the capital and to prepare him for an apprenticeship as a junior asipu, a position that we know from colophons was held by many novice scribes. As far as exposure to literature goes, the storytelling that characterized the first phase has given way to more serious matters, the inculcation of a world-view and the acquisition of practical expertise” (A.R. George, The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005], 1:36). In other words, the purpose of this final stage of re-education was to start thinking and living like a Babylonian.

Discussion Questions:

In what ways might we see the strategies and goals involved in Babylonian re-education reflected in our culture today? (Answers will vary. Change of name. Nothing defines our identity more than our name, and Nebuchadnezzar attempted to get Daniel and his friends to question and abandon their Jewish identity by changing their names. In the same way, evolution, the sexual revolution and gender identity crisis, and many other forces today are leading millions to question and abandon their God-given identities. Learning a new language. Contemporary culture has saturated people with media such as movies, music, video games, and television, to the point that these are the only things they can think about or discuss. At the same time, biblical literacy continues to decline, even among many regularly church-going people. Acceptance of a Babylonian worldview. Revelation 18 reveals how “Babylonians” live: under the influence of demonic mind control (vs. 2), in denial of sin and the coming judgments of God (vs. 7,8), for the gratification of appetite and sensual desires (vs. 11-14), for the purpose of material gain and prosperity (vs. 15-19), and in rejection of God’s prophetic Word (vs. 20).
Read Daniel 1:17-21. What enabled Daniel and his friends to learn, and even excel at, the education of Babylon, and still remain obedient and faithful to God? (They had “purposed in their heart” to remain faithful.) Was the Babylonian re-education system successful with them? Why or why not? (Answers will vary)
Read the statement below and discuss the purpose of true education:

Love, the basis of creation and of redemption, is the basis of true education. This is made plain in the law that God has given as the guide of life. The first and great commandment is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” Luke 10:27. To love Him, the infinite, the omniscient One, with the whole strength, and mind, and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being—the body, the mind, as well as the soul—the image of God is to be restored. {Ed 16.1}

Friday (January 10): Wisdom of the Wise

Wisdom literature in the Bible (such as Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and some of the Psalms) places strong emphasis on obedience to the law of God and are often grounded in recognition of God as Creator, because God has created natural and spiritual laws that should be followed for a happy and prosperous life. The last chapter of Daniel mentions “the wise” twice (see Daniel 12:3,10), and promises us that it is possible to live today like Daniel did in the midst of Babylon.

Discussion Questions:

The Bible speaks a lot about true wisdom. Read the following passages and discuss what they reveal about how to obtain true wisdom:
- Job 38-41. (True wisdom comes by recognizing God as our Creator.)
- Ecclesiastes 12:13,14. (True wisdom comes as we obey God’s commandments and recognize Him as our Judge.)
- 1 Corinthians 1:23,24. (True wisdom comes by accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as our sacrifice for sin.)
- 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. (True wisdom is a gift of God given through the Holy Spirit.)
Read Revelation 14:6-12. For what reason might the Three Angels’ Messages be regarded as a “wisdom text”? What similarities exist between it and the “wisdom texts” we read in Job and Ecclesiastes? (The First Angel’s Message references the everlasting gospel and refers to God as Judge and Creator. This passage concludes as Ecclesiastes does—with a call to obey God’s commandments.)
Read Revelation 7:1-3. Where do God’s servants at the end of time receive their wisdom, and what is this experience called? (It is called the seal of God, and is given through the Holy Spirit writing God’s law on the mind and heart.)

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From Reading to Understanding (2020, Quarter 1, Lesson 1)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (December 28): From Reading to Understanding

The book of Daniel has fascinated, intrigued, and inspired people for centuries. Some of the Bible’s greatest stories of faith and courage—such as the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion’s den—are found here. Likewise, some of the Bible’s most mysterious and powerful prophetic images emerge from its pages. As is true with the entire Bible, a careful and prayerful study of Daniel will bring many rewards to the Bible student. This book is also one that we should study with diligence today:

There is need of a much closer study of the word of God; especially should Daniel and the Revelation have attention as never before in the history of our work…The light that Daniel received from God was given especially for these last days. The visions he saw by the banks of the Ulai and the Hiddekel, the great rivers of Shinar, are now in process of fulfillment, and all the events foretold will soon come to pass. {TM 112.3}

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 8:22,23. Why is it so important to understand, rather than simply read, the words of Scripture? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 9:21-23 and 12:10. Based on these verses, do you think that God wants us to understand the things contained in the book of Daniel? (Yes!) What does this tell you about the kind of God we serve? (Answers will vary.)
Read John 14:29. What connection is there between understanding what we read in the Bible and experiencing the growth in faith that Jesus said fulfilled prophecy should result in? (If we don’t understand what we have read or heard, then naturally we can’t respond with the faith that God wants us to have.)
Read John 7:17. What principle to understanding God’s Word does Jesus reveal in this verse? (We must commit to doing what we read and hear from the Bible if we are going to truly understand it.) Why do you think this is so true? In what ways have you experienced the reality of Christ’s statement in your own life? (Answers will vary.) Are there times when, even though we are committed to doing God’s will, we still are not given full understanding? (Yes, just look at Daniel’s experience in Daniel 8.) How do we respond in times like these? (Perhaps this is one meaning of the “patience of the saints” in Revelation 14:12.)

Sunday (December 29): Christ: The Center of Daniel

In John 5:39 Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” This is true of the whole Bible, and, in a special way, of the book of Daniel. Looking for and finding Christ in its pages will be a recurring theme in our study of Daniel.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:13,14. By what name is Christ referred to in these verses? (“Son of man.”) What does this name suggest? (The close relation by which the Son of God has associated Himself with humanity.) What does the “Son of man” do in the plan of salvation in these verses? (He receives a kingdom and dominion that will never pass away.) What do you think this promise meant to Daniel? What does it mean to you? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 9:24-27. By what name is Christ referred to in these verses? (“Messiah.”) What does this name suggest? (One primary purpose of the book of Daniel is to direct our attention and faith toward Jesus Christ as the Messiah.) What does this prophecy predict that the Messiah will do in the work of salvation? (He will put an end to sins, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, die for us, and confirm God’s covenant of salvation.)
Read Daniel 10:13 and 12:1. By what name is Christ referred to in these verses? (“Michael.”) What does this name or title suggest? (Michael literally means “who is like God.” This is yet another name or title of Jesus Christ in the Bible.) What does the Bible’s use of this title for Christ, in these passages, reveal about His work for us? (In both passages, Michael stands in time of conflict for God’s people and delivers them.)

Monday (December 30): The Structure of Daniel

Much as the structure and design evident in nature points to the existence and even the character of a Creator, the structure of the book of Daniel not only provides organization, but also reveals the message of that book. For example, the book may be divided into two sections based on the language they were written in. As the lesson points out, the arrangement of the Aramaic section (chapters 2-7) forms a chiastic structure with the central focal point being God’s judgment on Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, and the prospect and promise of deliverance through judgment. This shouldn’t be surprising, since judgment is a recurring theme in Daniel, and Daniel’s name literally means “God is my judge.”

Another way of viewing the structure of Daniel is that of stories vs. prophecies. (Of course, even the stories in Daniel contain prophetic overtones, and many of the prophecies are likewise set in narrative form.) The stories in Daniel reveal the importance of character and remaining faithful in times of judgment and trial, while the four parallel prophetic passages (chapters 2, 7, 8, and 10-12) use the principle of repetition and enlargement to focus on what will happen at the end of time, following the period of Rome’s power, when God establishes His kingdom. Those four parallel prophetic structures reveal four aspects of God’s work at the end of time:

He will set up His kingdom (chapter 2)
through a process of judgment (chapter 7)
that includes purification of His people (chapter 8)
so that they can stand in the sight of a holy God when probation closes and Michael stands up (chapter 12).

Discussion Questions:

For what reasons might God have repeated the apocalyptic prophesies of Daniel four times? (Answers will vary. It is interesting to note that, according to Genesis 1:1-19, God created the material universe, and its ability to sustain physical life, in four days. Similarly, the four parallel lines of prophecy in Daniel reveal God’s end-time power to redeem people and re-create this earth.)
Read Daniel 2:44; 7:9,10,13,14; 8:13,14; and 12:1. How is Jesus Christ presented or described in each of these passages that conclude Daniel’s four parallel lines of prophecy? (In Daniel 2 Christ is presented as King, in Daniel 7 as Judge, in Daniel 8 as High Priest, and in Daniel 12 as Redeemer.)
For what reasons do you think we are given these four views of Christ? (Answers will vary. Just as the lines of prophecy use repetition and enlargement to explain Daniel 2 in more detail, the four “pictures” of Jesus Christ also repeat and expand on what it means that Christ becomes King. He takes His kingdom through a process of judgment that completes His work of purification of sin as High Priest. When this is completed Christ will have a people completely redeemed—forgiven and cleansed from sin.)

Tuesday (December 31): Apocalyptic Prophecies in Daniel

The “end” is mentioned many times in the book of Daniel, usually in the form of one of two phrases:

the “time of the end” in Daniel 8:17; 11:35,40; 12:4,9;
and the “time appointed” in Dan. 8:19; 11:27,29,35.

Repeatedly the message is given that God is in charge of history, that He is working through history to accomplish His purposes, and that specific events in history have occurred, and will occur, when God ordains them to.

Historicism—recognizing the fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecy from the time of the prophet to the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth—is central to a correct understanding of “the end” and the events that lead up to it. As the lesson points out, a number of reasons support this method of prophetic interpretation:

It flows naturally from the sequence of world empires repeatedly laid out in Daniel’s prophecies.
The large time spans contained in these prophecies best fit into a historicist framework.
Both Jesus and Paul interpreted Daniel’s prophecies as applying to successive specific events occurring before Christ’s second coming (Matt. 24:15-20, Luke 21:20-22; 2 Thess. 2:1-12).
Early Christians and the Reformers used the historicist approach.
The historicist approach views God as interested in all of human history.
The historicist approach asserts that the Bible has always had a message for people in every age.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:26; 8:17,19; 11:27,35,40; 12:4,9,13. On what period of time are all of these verses focused? (The “end.”) For what reasons do you think God repeats this phrase so many times throughout the book? (Answers will vary. Clearly, He wants us to recognize the importance of this book for our lives today. Also, He wanted to assure Daniel, and us as well, that He is ultimately in control of our salvation and what is happening in this world.)
Read John 5:17. In the NLT this verse reads, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” What does this verse suggest about the legitimacy of historicism, the interpreting apocalyptic prophecies as extending from the time of the prophet to the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth? (Just as God is always working for our salvation, the Bible’s lines of apocalyptic prophecy reveal that God is involved with and aware of human history through all of time. The Bible’s message is given to, and applies to, all people at all times, not just to a few people at the very end of time, as futurism would suggest.)
Read Isaiah 46:9,10. While this passage certainly is not a proof text for the validity of historicism, what general principle(s) does it reveal about how God interacts with human history? (First, one way that God reveals Himself is through His interactions throughout history. Second, God states that one evidence of His divinity is the fact that He can predict events in human history from “the end [to] the beginning.” Historicism matches very well these two aspects of God’s power.)

Wednesday (January 1): God’s Timescale

It is interesting to note that the day-year principle is employed when God is responding to sin, and that the length of time given in the prophecy reflects the sin or the solution to that sin. For instance:

In Numbers 14:34, Israel was given 40 years to wander in the wilderness as a consequence of rebellion following the spies’ 40 days in Canaan. Forty years was also long enough for that generation of adults to pass away in the wilderness.
In Ezekiel 4:4-6, the prophet was told to lie on his side for 390 days as a symbol of Israel’s iniquity over 390 years.
In Daniel 9:24-27, the Jews were given 70 weeks, or 490 years, to “put away sin” and prepare for the Messiah. While the day-year principle applies in this prophecy, it was given in terms of weeks. The week refers back to God’s complete and perfect work of creation and connects God’s work of creation and redemption.
In Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 12:14, the little horn/beast power is predicted to rule and persecute the saints for 3.5 prophetic years (1,260 literal years), and then to receive a “deadly wound” (Revelation 13:3). The 3.5 prophetic years of power by this anti-christ power corresponds to Christ’s 3.5 literal years of prophetic ministry.
Daniel 8:14 predicts a period of 2,300 days, or years, leading up to the start of the judgment and the purification of the sanctuary. Daniel 8:26 refers to this time period as “the vision of the evening and morning,” and this terminology refers to the morning and evening sacrifices that were to take place continually in the sanctuary and the temple. These sacrifices provided for continual or ongoing atonement for sin, and represent Christ’s unceasing intercession for us in heaven leading up to, and including, the antitypical Day of Atonement (see Hebrews 7:25).

Discussion Questions:

Read Galatians 4:4,5. What does this verse reveal about God’s timescale? (Important events in salvation history happen exactly when God knows they need to happen.) What prophetic events are we waiting for right now that we need to trust God to bring about at the right time? (Answers will vary.)
Read 2 Peter 3:8. What does this verse suggest about our need for patience in waiting for God to work? (It’s important!)
Read Genesis 6:3 and Revelation 20:1-4. For what reasons do you think that the Bible’s first and last time prophecies employ literal time, not the day-year principle? (Answers will vary. Perhaps this is because the events at the end of these prophecies—the destruction of the earth with water and with fire—are explained in literal, not symbolic terms, and therefore the time periods are also literal.)

Thursday (January 2): Contemporary Relevance of Daniel

The entire Bible, of course, contains God’s message for people today. Writing to the early Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul said, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). In another letter to the believers in Corinth, he wrote, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Clearly, God intends that we understand the significance of the things we read in the Bible for our lives today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Matthew 24:15-20. What practical lesson or lessons do you think Jesus wants us to take from the prophecies in Daniel? (Answers will vary. We should take action in our lives based on Bible prophecy. Our prayers should also be informed and guided by Bible prophecy and what we see happening in the world around us.)
Read Ezekiel 14:14. What does this verse suggest about the importance of studying and understanding how Daniel lived? (Daniel had a close personal relationship with God, and as a result his character reflected Christ’s character. In Daniel we see a role model for God’s end-time people.) Daniel wasn’t perfect, of course, yet the Bible records no sins or errors of Daniel, as it does with so many other people. For what reasons do you think this may be the case? (Answers will vary. Daniel is a type of those who will stand in and through the final judgment, whose sins are blotted out in the heavenly records. The fact that none of his faults are recorded is a promise that we may have the same experience, and one day be among those described in Revelation 14:5 as being “without fault before the throne of God.”)
Read Daniel 12:13. What do you think this verse means? (It is a personal promise to Daniel that he will be resurrected at Christ’s second coming. Prophetically and typologically speaking, it also reveals that Daniel’s prophecies will be studied and understood at the end of time, and that God will reproduce his righteous character in many other people at the end.)
Read the following statement from the book Education and discuss its application to the world we live in today:

In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will. {Ed 173.2}

Friday (January 3): God is My Judge

Daniel’s name means “God is my Judge,” and the stories of God’s protection over Daniel and his friends while in Babylon assures us that God being our Judge is good news! In today’s lesson we will look a little more closely at the good news contained in God’s judgment.

Discussion Questions:

Read Daniel 7:9,10. For what reasons should it be good news for us that God’s judgment is based on “books”? (Answers will vary. God is trying to assure us that His judgment is fair, open, and based on fact. This is very different from the capricious and emotional “judgments” attributed to many pagan deities.)
Read Daniel 7:21,22,25,26. Is judgment a good thing for God’s people in these passages? (Yes!) Why? (They are saved from persecution, their faith is vindicated, and God’s kingdom is established through His salvation on their behalf.)
Read Isaiah 1:27. In what ways are God’s redemption and judgment linked together? (In Daniel’s stories, God’s people are saved or redeemed from persecution when God enacts His judgments.) What connection does God’s judgment have with righteousness? (We will study this in depth in later lessons, but for now it is reassuring that God’s judgment is both based on His righteousness, and on the promise of His righteousness being given to His redeemed people.)

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Leaders in Israel (2019, Quarter 4, Lesson 13)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (December 21): Leaders in Israel

In this final lesson of a quarter that has focused on Ezra and Nehemiah, we will focus on the Bible’s lessons about leadership. What is true Biblical leadership, and what makes up the world’s counterfeit forms of leadership? How can we make our own lives available to God for the purpose of leadership, whether on a grand, or small, scale? Let’s dive in to this important topic!

The Hebrew word translated as “leader” appears 44 times in the Old Testament. This word, nagiyd, also is translated as “ruler,” “prince,” “captain,” “governor,” “nobles,” and, once, as “excellent things.” This last usage is found in Proverbs 8:6, which says, “Hear; for I will speak of excellent things [nagiyd]; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.” The parallelism is interesting, as it suggests that “excellent things,” or perhaps “leadership,” is, in God’s eyes, closely related to doing “right things.”

Discussion Questions:

Read Isaiah 55:3,4. Whom does God refer to in this passage that speaks of God’s everlasting covenant? (King David.) Verse 4 calls David and “leader and commander” of the people. What other term does God use to describe David? (He is a “witness to the people.”) Why do you think the Bible calls David a witness to the people, and how might this be related to his role as a leader? (Answers will vary. The NLT translation puts this verse this way: “See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations.”)
In what ways can true spiritual leaders allow God’s power to be displayed through them? (Answers will vary.) In what ways did David’s early life of doing “right things” make it possible for God’s power to be displayed through him? In what ways was this witness destroyed later in his life after his great sins? (Answers will vary.)

Sunday (December 22): The Influence of Leaders

In today’s lesson we will look at several leaders in the Bible—good and bad—and reflect on the purpose or goal of leadership that many of them demonstrated.

Discussion Questions:

Read the following passages and summarize the view or goal of leadership held by the person in that passage:
- Rehoboam: 1 Kings 12:1-16. (The purpose of leadership is authoritarian power wielded for personal benefit.)
- Peter: Acts 15:7-11. (The purpose of leadership is to gently lead people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ that purifies one’s heart through faith.)
- Josiah: 2 Kings 23:1-10. (The purpose of leadership is to provide a positive role model of obedience to God, and to tear down negative spiritual influences.)
- Deborah: Judges 4:1-16. (The purpose of leadership is to motivate people to have faith in God and do challenging things for Him.)
- Ahab: 1 Kings 21:1-16. (The purpose of leadership is to amass personal power, wealth, and influence.)
Does a position of leadership change a person into something better or worse than they were before, or does it simply provide an opportunity to reveal what the character already is? What examples can you think of to support your answer? (Answers will vary.)

Monday (December 23): Evil in the Sight of the Lord

Today’s lesson looks at three leaders, or groups of leaders, in the Bible that wielded a decidedly negative influence on other people. In our study, we will focus on an additional negative leader—Judas, the disciple-turned-betrayer of Christ. The tragic lessons of his doomed life should not be overlooked.

Discussion Questions:

Read John 11:26-30. What position of leadership did Judas have among the disciples? (He was treasurer of the ministry.) What kind of influence might this position have given him? (Answers will vary.)
Read John 6:56-64. By the end of Christ’s ministry, at least, what was Judas’ spiritual condition like? (He didn’t accept Jesus as the Son of God.)
Read the following passage and discuss how Judas’s unbelief impacted his influence among the disciples, and what lessons we can learn from his life:

Christ’s discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of Judas. He heard the words, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.” John 6:53. He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch. {DA 719.1}

From that time he expressed doubts that confused the disciples. He introduced controversies and misleading sentiments, repeating the arguments urged by the scribes and Pharisees against the claims of Christ. All the little and large troubles and crosses, the difficulties and the apparent hindrances to the advancement of the gospel, Judas interpreted as evidences against its truthfulness. He would introduce texts of Scripture that had no connection with the truths Christ was presenting. These texts, separated from their connection, perplexed the disciples, and increased the discouragement that was constantly pressing upon them. Yet all this was done by Judas in such a way as to make it appear that he was conscientious. And while the disciples were searching for evidence to confirm the words of the Great Teacher, Judas would lead them almost imperceptibly on another track. Thus in a very religious, and apparently wise, way he was presenting matters in a different light from that in which Jesus had given them, and attaching to His words a meaning that He had not conveyed. His suggestions were constantly exciting an ambitious desire for temporal preferment, and thus turning the disciples from the important things they should have considered. The dissension as to which of them should be greatest was generally excited by Judas. {DA 719.2}

Tuesday (December 24): Courage and Empowerment

In the last four days of this week’s lesson, we will compare the leadership characteristics demonstrated by Ezra and Nehemiah with characteristics of Revelation’s remnant church. Today, we look at courage and empowerment.

Discussion Questions:

Read 1 Corinthians 14:3. What are three manifestations of the prophetic gift? (Edification, exhortation, and comfort.) What does it mean to edify and exhort others? (Exhortation means to teach and encourage, even reprove when necessary, and edification means to build up. The NLT translates this verse this way: “But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.”)
Read Revelation 12:17 and 19:10. These two verses in Revelation show the importance that prophecy, and the prophetic gift, will have for God’s people at the end of time. In what ways, and for what reasons, do we living at the end of time especially need the prophetic gifts of edification, exhortation, and comfort? (Answers will vary.)
Read the following passages below and discuss the importance of receiving God’s courage today:

The opposition and discouragement that the builders in Nehemiah’s day met from open enemies and pretended friends is typical of the experience that those today will have who work for God. Christians are tried, not only by the anger, contempt, and cruelty of enemies, but by the indolence, inconsistency, lukewarmness, and treachery of avowed friends and helpers. Derision and reproach are hurled at them. And the same enemy that leads to contempt, at a favorable opportunity uses more cruel and violent measures. {PK 644.3}

Satan takes advantage of every unconsecrated element for the accomplishment of his purposes. Among those who profess to be the supporters of God’s cause there are those who unite with His enemies and thus lay His cause open to the attacks of His bitterest foes. Even some who desire the work of God to prosper will yet weaken the hands of His servants by hearing, reporting, and half believing the slanders, boasts, and menaces of His adversaries. Satan works with marvelous success through his agents, and all who yield to their influence are subject to a bewitching power that destroys the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of the prudent. But, like Nehemiah, God’s people are neither to fear nor to despise their enemies. Putting their trust in God, they are to go steadily forward, doing His work with unselfishness, and committing to His providence the cause for which they stand. {PK 645.1}

Wednesday (December 25): Purpose and Passion

Nehemiah and Ezra both understood their purpose in life, and maintained a passion for carrying out that purpose. This was essential for them, and it remains especially so for God’s people today. In many previous lessons we have discussed the purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Advent Movement. In today’s lesson, we will look at how we can best maintain a holy passion for fulfilling the mission given to us.

Discussion Questions:

Read 2 Corinthians 9:2. What quality did the church in Corinth have that Paul commended? (They had zeal for God and His truth.) What is zeal? (Zeal, in its good sense, is “ardour in embracing, pursuing, [and] defending anything.”) What has God given to us today that needs to be embraced? Pursued? Defended? (Answers will vary. Certainly the law of God, the Sabbath truth, the sanctuary message, the promise of Christ’s second coming, and God’s promise of victory over sin need to be embraced, pursued, and defended today.)
Read Revelation 3:14-16. According to this passage, what is the spiritual condition of the church today? (We are lukewarm and lack passion and zeal for God.) Is this an accurate description of your church, your family, and you yourself? (Hopefully not!)
Read Revelation 3:17. What contributes to the lack of spiritual passion among God’s people today? (This verse suggests that self-sufficiency, apathy, and spiritual blindness bring about this deadly condition.)
Read Revelation 3:18,19. After revealing the remedies for spiritual apathy in verse 18, what does Jesus encourage us to do in verse 19? (Be zealous and repent.) What does it mean to be zealous in repentance? (Answers will vary.)
Read the statements below and discuss what practical things we can do in our lives to experience this kind of revival and reformation:

The gold of faith and love, the white raiment of a spotless character, and the eyesalve, or the power of clear discernment between good and evil—all these we must obtain before we can hope to enter the kingdom of God. But these precious treasures will not drop upon us without some exertion on our part. We must buy—we must “be zealous and repent” of our lukewarm state. We must be awake to see our wrongs, to search for our sins, and to put them away from us.... {OHC 351.3}

In one way we are thrown upon our own energies; we are to strive earnestly to be zealous and to repent, to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts from every defilement; we are to reach the highest standard, believing that God will help us in our efforts. We must seek if we would find, and seek in faith; we must knock, that the door may be opened unto us. The Bible teaches that everything regarding our salvation depends upon our own course of action. If we perish, the responsibility will rest wholly upon ourselves. If provision has been made, and if we accept God’s terms, we may lay hold on eternal life. We must come to Christ in faith, we must be diligent to make our calling and election sure. {NL 35.3}

Thursday (December 26): Humility and Perseverance

Humility and perseverance were two additional outstanding characteristics of Ezra and Nehemiah that empowered them to fulfill their mission. However, these positive qualities were most clearly demonstrated by Jesus Christ during His final hours of suffering. In today’s lesson, we will compare Christ’s demonstration of humility and perseverance with that of the saints at the end of time.

Discussion Questions:

Read Luke 22:67-71. For what was Jesus condemned at His final trial before the Jews? (His testimony regarding His relationship to God the Father.)
Read Revelation 12:17. For what are God’s people persecuted at the end of time? (The commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.) What connections do you see between Christ’s testimony at the end of His life, and the testimony of Jesus held and given by the saints at the end of time? (Answers will vary. Both are condemned for testimony they bear, for their faith in and obedience to God, and for the awareness of a living connection with God the Father.)
Read Hebrews 5:7-9. In what ways did Christ show perseverance during His sufferings? (He continued to remain faithful and obedient to God, and to demonstrate divine patience with, and forgiveness of, those who were persecuting Him.)
Read Revelation 12:14. In what ways is the “patience of the saints” the same as the perseverance of Christ? In what ways might it be different? (Answers will vary.)

The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly treasure, and who have not cared to understand God’s dealings with His people, will be ready victims. No power but a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, will ever make us steadfast; but with this, one may chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight. {Mar 217.7}

Friday (December 27): Leaders at the End of Time

God has always needed leaders on earth, and Revelation reveals that at the end of time He will have a people on earth that, through His power, are true spiritual leaders. It is the privilege and calling of each of us to be part of God’s end-time “leadership team.” It’s an offer you don’t want to refuse!

Discussion Questions:

Read Revelation 7:1-3. Upon whom does God place His seal at the end of time? (His servants.) What does it mean to be a servant of God? (Answers will vary.)
Read Matthew 24:43-47. This passage explains what it means to be a servant of God at the end of time. What kind of servant does Jesus make a “ruler over his household”? (Faithful and wise servants.) What is a faithful servant? What is a wise servant? (Faithful and wise servants give the people under their care “meat in due season.”) What does this mean? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 12:1-3. What does this verse reveal about being a wise servant of God at the end of time? What will they be doing? (Those who are wise will be working with Christ to turn other people away from sin toward righteousness.)
Read the passages below and discuss what they reveal about how we should be living today:

As never before, resistance must be made against sin—against the powers of darkness. The time demands energetic and determined activity on the part of those who believe present truth. If the time seems long to wait for our Deliverer to come; if, bowed by affliction and worn with toil, we feel impatient to receive an honorable release from the warfare, let us remember—and let the remembrance check every murmur—that we are left on earth to encounter storms and conflicts, to perfect Christian character, to become better acquainted with God our Father, and Christ our elder Brother, and to do work for the Master in winning many souls to Christ. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3

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Dealing With Bad Decisions (2019, Quarter 4, Lesson 12)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (December 14): Dealing With Bad Decisions

No one has had to deal with worse decisions on the part of others than has God, Who has had to deal with sin. In today’s lesson we will look at some general principles that reveal how God responds to sin, and what this means for us.

Discussion Questions:

Read the following passages and discuss what they reveal about how God has dealt with the bad decision of sin:
- Genesis 3:15. (God wants to create within us a hatred of sin.)
- Genesis 3:21. (God gives a promise of forgiveness and redemption.)
- Genesis 3:22-24. (God does not withhold natural consequences of bad decisions.)
- Isaiah 28:21. (In dealing with sin, God has done, and will do, difficult things.)
- 2 Peter 3:9. (God gives much time for people to make the right decision.)
- Revelation 12:7-9. (God did not allow sin to remain in heaven after Satan’s rebellion.)

Sunday (December 15): Nehemiah’s Reaction

One thing is for sure—Nehemiah was not one to sit still and let a bad situation get worse. In today’s lesson we will look at his reaction to the crisis in Jerusalem, and then seek to apply lessons learned from his story to our own experience today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Nehemiah 13:23-25. How did Nehemiah react to the mixed marriages taking place? (He was shocked and saddened.) How else would you characterize the nature of his response? (Answers will vary. His reaction was swift and decisive.) How do you think the manner of his reaction impacted the effectiveness of his reaction? (Answers will vary.)
Read 1 Chronicles 12:32. What were some of the outstanding character traits of the men from the tribe of Issachar? (They understood the times and understood what needed to be done in response. It’s not a stretch to assume that they were men of decided action.) How important is it for us as Christians to develop and practice these same character traits, and why? (Answers will vary.)
Read Romans 13:11-14. What does this passage say about the importance of recognizing the times in which we live, and acting accordingly? (It’s very important!) What advice do you find in this passage for yourself, your family, and your church? (Answers will vary.)
Read the following passage and discuss its implications for your church in accomplishing the great commission and sharing the Three Angels’ Messages:

God wants men connected with His work…whose judgment is at hand, whose minds, when it is necessary, will act like the lightnings. The greatest promptness is positively necessary in the hour of peril and danger. Every plan may be well laid to accomplish certain results, and yet a delay of a very short time may leave things to assume an entirely different shape, and the great objects which might have been gained are lost through lack of quick foresight and prompt dispatch. Much may be done in training the mind to overcome indolence. There are times when caution and great deliberation are necessary; rashness would be folly. But even here, much has been lost by too great hesitancy. Caution, up to a certain point, is required; but hesitancy and policy on particular occasions have been more disastrous than would have been a failure through rashness. {3T 498.1}

Monday (December 16): Nehemiah’s Reproof

Nehemiah didn’t leave much doubt in people’s minds regarding his opinion of the marriage situation. In today’s lesson we look at the importance and role of biblical reproof—something that is rarely enjoyable to receive or give. Nevertheless, its importance is clearly explained by Scripture and in the Spirit of Prophecy. Giving and receiving Spirit-led reproof is something that should not be ignored!

Discussion Questions:

Read Nehemiah 13:26,27. How would you characterize Nehemiah’s reproof to the Jews who had married heathen women? (Answers will vary.) For what reasons do you think he came across so strongly on this issue? (Answers will vary.)
Read Ephesians 5:11. If God’s people do not reprove sin, what may we actually be doing? (Having “fellowship,” or sympathy, with those sins.)
Read 2 Timothy 4:2. What important elements of biblical reproof do you see in this verse? (Biblical reproof is timely, is done with love and patience, and is based on biblical doctrine.)
Read John 16:8. Who alone can ultimately bring reproof home to the heart and effect change? (The Holy Spirit.) Why is this so important to remember? (Answers will vary. Much prayer should always precede reproof.)

Bear in mind that the success of reproof depends greatly upon the spirit in which it is given. Do not neglect earnest prayer that you may possess a lowly mind, and that angels of God may go before you to work upon the hearts you are trying to reach, and so soften them by heavenly impressions that your efforts may avail. If any good is accomplished, take no credit to yourself. God alone should be exalted. God alone has done it all. {2T 52.1}

Tuesday (December 17): Ezra Reacts

Like Nehemiah, Ezra was shocked and saddened by the intermarriages taking place amongst the Jews. And, like Nehemiah, Ezra determined to do what he could to address and correct the situation. In today’s lesson we will look at his reaction to the crisis, and unpack some lessons about the importance of spiritual division for us today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Ezra 9:1,2. What caused the great crisis for the Jews at this time? (They had failed to separate or divide from the heathen nations around them.) What made this failure even worse? (It had been allowed and even initiated by the priests and Levites.)
Read Leviticus 10:10,11. What responsibility did God give to Israel’s priests? (To teach the people to differentiate between right and wrong, holy and unholy, and to follow God’s law.)
Read Genesis 1:4,6,7,14,18. What role did division play in God’s work of physical creation? (God divided the physical elements at Creation.)
Read Revelation 18:4. What role does division play in God’s work of spiritual revival and restoration at the end of time? (His people will be called to separate from the world and unite with Him.) What are the most difficult aspects of answering God’s call of spiritual division from the world? (Answers will vary.) Do you think God’s end-time call of division involves physical or practical aspects in addition to the spiritual aspects? If so, how? (Answers will vary.)

Wednesday (December 18): Ezra Acts

Under Ezra’s leadership, the Jews decided to put away, or send back home, all the foreign wives that had been taken. While we today probably view this decision as drastic and harsh, it does teach important lessons about the rigor with which we should deal with sin in our lives.

Discussion Questions:

Read the following passage and summarize its basic message regarding the importance of dealing with, and separating from, sin:

If you cling to self, refusing to yield your will to God, you are choosing death. To sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire. If you choose sin, and refuse to separate from it, the presence of God, which consumes sin, must consume you. (TMB 62)

Read the following passages and discuss what they say or reveal about how sin should be dealt with in our lives:
- Psalm 32:5,6. (Sin can not be ignored, but must be confessed.)
- Matthew 5:23,24. (Sin negatively affects our relationships with others and with God.)
- Ephesians 4:26. (Sin should be dealt with today, not tomorrow.)
- Hebrews 3:15. (The Holy Spirit works on our hearts to convict us of sin, but this conviction should not be ignored or it will eventually lessen and then go away.)

Thursday (December 19): Marriage Today

Nehemiah and Ezra bravely addressed the mixed marriages that had taken place in Jerusalem. While this reform undoubtedly caused much grief for many people (including Nehemiah and Ezra), it was also a necessary step.

Discussion Questions:

Read the passage below. Why was Nehemiah so concerned about these mixed marriages? Should his concerns still be valid concerns for God’s people today? (Answers will vary.)

These unlawful alliances were causing great confusion in Israel; for some who entered into them were men in high position, rulers to whom the people had a right to look for counsel and a safe example. Foreseeing the ruin before the nation if this evil were allowed to continue, Nehemiah reasoned earnestly with the wrongdoers. Pointing to the case of Solomon, he reminded them that among all the nations there had risen no king like this man, to whom God had given great wisdom; yet idolatrous women had turned his heart from God, and his example had corrupted Israel. “Shall we then hearken unto you,” Nehemiah sternly demanded, “to do all this great evil?” “Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.” {PK 673.2}

Read the passage below. What warning can we take today from the sad history of those Jews who chose to leave Jerusalem and stay with their foreign wives? (Answers will vary.)

Many who had married idolaters chose to go with them into exile, and these, with those who had been expelled from the congregation, joined the Samaritans. Hither some who had occupied high positions in the work of God found their way and after a time cast in their lot fully with them. Desiring to strengthen this alliance, the Samaritans promised to adopt more fully the Jewish faith and customs, and the apostates, determined to outdo their former brethren, erected a temple on Mount Gerizim in opposition to the house of God at Jerusalem. Their religion continued to be a mixture of Judaism and heathenism, and their claim to be the people of God was the source of schism, emulation, and enmity between the two nations, from generation to generation. {PK 674.3}

Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-16. Why does God warn so strongly against marrying an unbeliever? (Just as light and dark cannot coexist, neither can someone who loves God and wants to keep His law live peacefully with someone who does not.) Remembering that a woman in Bible prophecy often represents a church, what spiritual warnings as a church should we take from this passage? (While we should be friendly to those of other faiths, uniting with them in ways that will lead to, or even require, compromise should be avoided.)

Friday (December 20): Spiritual Division at the End of Time

God has always called His people to divide from the world and unite with Him. This has been true throughout history, and it is true today at the end of time. We can learn much about what it means to answer God’s call today, by looking at what it meant for people in times past.

Discussion Questions:

Read the following verses and discuss what it meant for each of these Bible characters to answer God’s call to divide from the people, and the world, around them:
- Hebrews 11:7.
- Hebrews 11:8.
- Hebrews 11:24-27.
- The Israelites. Hebrews 11:29.
- Hebrews 11:30,31.
Read Revelation 18:1-4. What call does God give to His people at the end of time? (To divide from Babylon and unite with Him.) What sacrifice do you think this will require of God’s people? (Answers will vary.)

For a fascinating comparison of God’s call for spiritual division at the end of time, with His work of physical division at creation week, get your copy of Divided We Stand by Tim Rumsey at www.PathwayToParadise.org. This short book is available in print and as an ebook.

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Backslidden People (2019, Quarter 4, Lesson 11)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 7 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (December 7): Backslidden People

When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem after some time back at home serving the king, he was met with a discouraging situation. In spite of his best efforts at establishing a just and God-fearing leadership in Jerusalem, the leaders and the people had, in many ways, fallen from obedience to God. In this week’s lesson we will look at the reforms that Nehemiah found necessary to carry out, and, as always, seek to apply these stories to today.

Discussion Questions:

Read 2 Corinthians 4:3,4. What effect does sin have on us? (It blinds us.) Do you think the people, and especially the leaders, living in Jerusalem when Nehemiah returned realized their deep level of apostasy? Why or why not? (Answers will vary.)
Read Nehemiah 13:22. Is it significant that Nehemiah told the Levites to first “cleanse themselves,” and then after that to “keep the gates”? Why or why not? (Spiritually speaking, we cannot fulfill the role that God wants us to until we have cooperated with Him in allowing Him to cleanse and purify us from the sinful things that would keep us from accomplishing that mission. Nehemiah had the order correct.) Note that this cleansing and gate keeping was all done in reference to sanctifying the Sabbath day. What additional lessons might we learn from this verse that apply to us today? (True Sabbath keeping is about more than external activities, or “keeping the gate.” It springs from a heart that has been cleansed and now rests by faith in Jesus Christ.)
Read 2 Corinthians 3:14. Although this verse is especially referring to the passing away of the ceremonial system and laws at the death of Christ, what general spiritual principle is also revealed in this verse? How can we be truly freed from the blindness of sin? (Jesus Christ takes the “veil” of sin away so that we see our true condition, and accept the forgiveness and cleansing that He offers.)

Sunday (December 8): Tainted Temple Leadership

Nehemiah must have been shocked and saddened upon his return to Jerusalem to discover what was happening with the leaders in Jerusalem. At the very highest level—that of high priest—there was apostasy, corruption, and a flagrant disregard for the commands of God. In today’s lesson we will compare this sad episode in Judah’s history with some prophetic warnings and advice given by the apostle Paul.

Discussion Questions:

Read Nehemiah 13:4,5. During Nehemiah’s absence in Jerusalem, whom did Eliashib invite to live in the temple? (Tobiah.) Who was Tobiah? (An enemy of Israel!) Who was Eliashib? (The high priest! [See Nehemiah 3:1])
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4. What parallels, if any, do you find between this prophecy of what would happen within Christianity, and Tobiah’s presence in the temple at Jerusalem? (In both instances, an enemy of God and of Israel ends up “sitting” or holding a position of influence and power within the church.)
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. What resulted within Christianity through the influence of this “man of sin” sitting in the temple? (Signs and lying wonders, truth neither preached nor taught nor appreciated, spiritual delusions and lies are believed, pleasure in unrighteousness.) What do you think would have happened in Nehemiah’s time had Nehemiah not intervened in the situation? (Probably the same thing.)
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17. What advice did Paul give his readers about standing firm when the church is being attacked from within? (Believe the truth, allow the Holy Spirit to do His work of sanctification, stand fast and hold to the traditions taught by the Word, don’t give up hope, and establish the Word in your heart by doing it.)

Monday (December 9): The Levites in the Fields

Another challenge Nehemiah faced when he returned to Jerusalem was that of tithes and offerings. The people, perhaps discouraged by the corrupt leadership of Eliashib, had stopped giving their money to the temple and its services, and as a result many of the Levites—those responsible for the upkeep and care of the temple—had “fled every one to his field” (Nehemiah 13:10) in order to earn a living.

Discussion Questions:

Read Nehemiah 13:10. What problem did Nehemiah face here? (The Levites and singers had quit their work for God in the temple and had returned to their secular trades.) Do you think this was a wise decision on their part? Did it show a lack of faith, or was it entirely a pragmatic decision? (Answers will vary.)
Read Nehemiah 13:11. What had happened to the house of God when the Levites and singers returned home? Does it appear that any of them continued to work on a volunteer basis? (Apparently not.) Given these facts, would you say that money was the biggest problem, or something else? (It seems that the biggest problem was one of apathy and disregard for God’s temple and His work.)
Read Luke 9:62. What do you think Jesus meant in this verse by putting our “hand to the plough”? (Jesus is speaking here of becoming a disciple of Christ and of accepting His call to work for Him.) What do you think Jesus meant by “looking back”? (This must refer to giving up the sacred duties that God has called us to, and focusing instead on the ordinary secular duties and pursuits of life.) ” Why would this disqualify someone for the kingdom of God? (Answers will vary.)
Read 2 Timothy 2:4. What does it mean for a Christian to be “entangled with the affairs of this life”? How can we avoid this pitfall? (Answers will vary.)

Tuesday (December 10): Tithes and Offerings

While many important points could be brought out in regards to the importance of faithfully paying tithes and offerings, we will focus instead today on an interesting statement made in the lesson regarding tithing and evangelism.

Discussion Questions:

The lesson study makes the following statement: “Most important, though, without tithes and offerings evangelism would be nonexistent.” What do you think of this statement? Do you agree with it or not, and why? (Answers will vary.)
Read Ephesians 4:11. Who calls and equips a person to be an evangelist? (The Holy Spirit.) Do you think the Holy Spirit only gives the gift of evangelism to people who are on the conference payroll? (This seems very unlikely!) While it is a great blessing to have full-time evangelists working for the church, what might happen to the spiritual condition of the church members if we become content to let the “professionals” do all the work of evangelism? (No doubt many opportunities for witnessing would be overlooked and souls may remain lost that otherwise would have come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.)
Read the statement below and discuss its implications for every church member. Is this kind of evangelism dependent on tithes and offerings?

The Lord is calling upon His people to take up different lines of work. Those in the highways and byways of life are to hear the gospel message. Church members are to do evangelistic work in the homes of their neighbors who have not yet received full evidence of the truth for this time. {9T 33.1}

God calls for Christian families to go into communities that are in darkness and error, and work wisely and perseveringly for the Master. To answer this call requires self-sacrifice. While many are waiting to have every obstacle removed, souls are dying without hope and without God in the world. Many, very many, for the sake of worldly advantage, for the sake of acquiring scientific knowledge, will venture into pestilential regions and endure hardship and privation. Where are those who are willing to do this for the sake of telling others of the Saviour? Where are the men and women who will move into regions that are in need of the gospel, that they may point those in darkness to the Redeemer? {9T 33.2}

Wednesday (December 11): Treading the Winepresses on Sabbath

Adding to the troubles in Jerusalem was the fact that the Sabbath was being lightly regarded—or even completely ignored—by many of the Jews (see Nehemiah 13:15,16.) True to form, Nehemiah tackled the issue of Sabbath observance head on, and effected yet another set of reforms.

Discussion Questions:

Read Nehemiah 13:17,18. What argument did Nehemiah make regarding the Sabbath? (God had allowed their fathers to be taken captive because of their disregard for the Sabbath, so why would they be making the same mistake?)
Read 2 Chronicles 36:21. Did Nehemiah have his history correct? (It appears that he did.) What warning and lesson might we learn regarding problems and troubles facing the church today? How many of these might be connected to a similar disregard for God’s law today? (Answers will vary.)
Read 2 Chronicles 36:14-16. In addition to their failure to keep the Sabbath, what other mistakes did the Jews make leading up to their captivity? (They mocked the messengers of God, despised His Word, and misused his prophets.) In what ways are these things connected with Sabbath observance? (Answers will vary.)
Read and discuss the following statement. Do you believe this is true? What does it suggest for us today? (Answers will vary.)

When the foundations of the earth were laid, then was also laid the foundation of the Sabbath. I was shown that if the true Sabbath had been kept, there would never have been an infidel or an atheist. The observance of the Sabbath would have preserved the world from idolatry. {1T 77 - CET 86.1}

Thursday (December 12): Did Not Your Fathers Do Thus?

In today’s lesson we will look at several statements from the book Prophets and Kings pertaining to the situation in Jerusalem at this time. As we repeatedly see, the lessons learned from this history have an important application for our time.

Discussion Questions:

Read the passage below. What reason is given for why the Sabbath was not being kept in Jerusalem? Do you think the same dangers exist for God’s people today? If so, what might the “merchants and traders” from heathen lands represent today? (Answers will vary.)

Another result of intercourse with idolaters was a disregard of the Sabbath, the sign distinguishing the Israelites from all other nations as worshipers of the true God. Nehemiah found that heathen merchants and traders from the surrounding country, coming to Jerusalem, had induced many among the Israelites to engage in traffic on the Sabbath. There were some who could not be persuaded to sacrifice principle, but others transgressed and joined with the heathen in their efforts to overcome the scruples of the more conscientious. Many dared openly to violate the Sabbath. “In those days,” Nehemiah writes, “saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.... There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah.” {PK 671.1}

Read the passage below. Who could have prevented the Jews’ slide into apostasy, and why didn’t they put a check on the growing rebellion? How can we avoid making the same mistake that Jerusalem’s leaders did?

This state of things might have been prevented had the rulers exercised their authority; but a desire to advance their own interests had led them to favor the ungodly. Nehemiah fearlessly rebuked them for their neglect of duty. “What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?” he sternly demanded. “Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” He then gave command that “when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath,” they should be shut, and not opened again till the Sabbath was past; and having more confidence in his own servants than in those that the magistrates of Jerusalem might appoint, he stationed them at the gates to see that his orders were enforced. {PK 671.2}

Read the following passage. What additional lessons and encouragement can we glean from Nehemiah’s life?

The success attending Nehemiah’s efforts shows what prayer, faith, and wise, energetic action will accomplish. Nehemiah was not a priest; he was not a prophet; he made no pretension to high title. He was a reformer raised up for an important time. It was his aim to set his people right with God. Inspired with a great purpose, he bent every energy of his being to its accomplishment. High, unbending integrity marked his efforts. As he came into contact with evil and opposition to right he took so determined a stand that the people were roused to labor with fresh zeal and courage. They could not but recognize his loyalty, his patriotism, and his deep love for God; and, seeing this, they were willing to follow where he led. {PK 675.3

Friday (December 13): The Greatest Want of the World

Nehemiah’s dedication to God should serve as an inspiring role model for us today. He is a wonderful example of the kind of person described in the book Education, page 57:

The greatest want of the world is the want of men,—men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.

Discussion Questions:

Read the following passage. What additional lessons and encouragement can we glean from Nehemiah’s life? (Answers will vary.)

The success attending Nehemiah’s efforts shows what prayer, faith, and wise, energetic action will accomplish. Nehemiah was not a priest; he was not a prophet; he made no pretension to high title. He was a reformer raised up for an important time. It was his aim to set his people right with God. Inspired with a great purpose, he bent every energy of his being to its accomplishment. High, unbending integrity marked his efforts. As he came into contact with evil and opposition to right he took so determined a stand that the people were roused to labor with fresh zeal and courage. They could not but recognize his loyalty, his patriotism, and his deep love for God; and, seeing this, they were willing to follow where he led. {PK 675.3}

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Worshiping the Lord (2019, Quarter 4, Lesson 10)

contact@pathwaytoparadise.org (Pathway to Paradise Ministries) — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 00:00:00 -0600

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Sabbath (November 30): Worshiping the Lord

Worship is a central aspect of our religious experience, and, it might be argued, also defines the core of our existence. After all, it was the issue of worship that led Lucifer away from God in heaven (see Isaiah 14:12-14), and then plunged this universe into the agony of sin. Similarly, Revelation reveals that the question of true or false worship will determine people’s destinies at the end of time when the mark of the beast is enforced (see Revelation 14:9-10). In this week’s lesson we will look at the worship historically, and seek to apply the lessons we learn to our experience.

Discussion Questions:

Read Genesis 4:3-5. What gift did Cain bring to the altar? (He brought fruit of the ground.) Was this what God had required? (No. God had required that a firstborn from the flocks be brought.)
Read Genesis 4:2. In addition to the blatant disregard for God’s command, why might Cain have chosen to bring an offering of fruit? (His life centered around growing fruit, and this particular offering represented the most excellent gift that he thought he could bring.) What lesson should we take from Cain’s bad decision? (The lesson states on Sunday, “Excellence must always be a goal in worship.” While we certainly should bring our best to the Lord, this cannot be the only guideline that determines how we worship God. Cain brought an “excellent” gift of fruit, but it was completely contrary to the divine commands regarding worship. We must always remember that obedience is even more important than mere excellence when it comes to worshipping God.)
Read the following statement. What does it reveal about the result within the human character of true and false worship? (True worship brings us “upward toward the divine,” while false worship leads us “downward toward the satanic.”) What does this suggest about the importance of pursuing true worship of the true God? (It’s very important!)

Nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle—that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. It is claimed by some that the human race can refine, elevate, and regenerate itself. As Cain thought to secure divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. The history of Cain shows that humanity does not tend upward toward the divine, but downward toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope. See Acts 4:12. {EP 38.5}

Sunday (December 1): Singing the Songs of the Lord

Music has always played an important role in the worship of God’s people. In today’s lesson we look at a few Biblical principles about the proper role of music in worship.

Discussion Questions:

Read Zephaniah 3:17. What does this verse reveal about the origin of music? Who was the first musician? (God was the first musician, and He is the Creator of music.) What does this verse reveal about God’s purpose for music? For what reason does He sing? (Music in heaven is an expression of joy and praise for what God does, including His work of salvation.) Did the singers and musicians in Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day have reason to praise God for His work of salvation toward them? (Yes! God had returned them to Jerusalem, and guided in the rebuilding of the city and temple.) Do we have just as much reason to praise God today? (Of course!)
Read Psalm 47:1,6,7. What do these verses further imply about the purpose, and perhaps even the type, of music that is sung to the Lord? (Music sung to God should be joyful and be done with enthusiasm. At the same time, it should be done in a way that appeals to our reason and intellect, not just our emotions. The ideal worship music will allow for our personal expression of thanks to God, while also providing an opportunity for instruction in Bible truth and affirmation of our faith.)
Read Colossians 3:16. What role should the Word of God play in our songs of worship? (It should be central to our songs of worship. Likewise, music used in worship should enhance and augment our understanding and appreciation of, and response to, Bible truths. Biblically, music used for worship must be more than just an emotional experience, or even an opportunity for personal expression. It must be focused on the Word of God.)

Monday (December 2): Purification

As the lesson states, “[T]he temple and its services were a means to an end, not an end in and of themselves. And that end, of course, was to lead the people into a saving relationship with their covenant God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to know His cleansing power in their lives.” The sanctuary and its services served as a type of God’s great plan of salvation centering in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Properly understanding how these services worked enables us to also understand more completely the full work of restoration and redemption that God has promised to work in our lives, if we let Him.

Discussion Questions:

Read Leviticus 4:20,26,30,35. What do these verses reveal would be accomplished through the death of the sacrificial animals? (The guilty, yet repentant, sinner would be forgiven.)
Read Leviticus 16:29,30. At what point were the people to understand that they were not only forgiven, but also cleansed, from their confessed sins? (On the Day of Atonement they were “clean from all [their] sins before the Lord.”)
Read 1 John 1:9. What two things does God promise to do for us, through Christ, when we confess our sins? (Forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) Why is it so important to pray for, and experience, both forgiveness and cleansing in our lives? (Answers will vary.)
Read the following statement from the book The Great Controversy and discuss what this means for us today. What does it imply about what true worship of God will look like in our lives? (Answers will vary.)

The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, “whither the forerunner is for us entered.” Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God. {GC 489.1}

Tuesday (December 3): Two Large Thanksgiving Choirs

In today’s lesson we look at two striking stories in the Bible about the good and bad use of music in worship. The examples and warnings found in these stories provide important lessons for us today.

Discussion Questions:

Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-3,14-17. What crisis confronted God’s people? How did they respond, and what did God do for them? (They were being attacked by their enemies, and King Jehoshaphat led the people in prayer. God responded by giving them an assurance of His victory on their behalf.)
Read 2 Chronicles 20:20. What advice and promise did the king give to the people? (That God would establish and prosper them if they believed in God and in His prophets.)
Read 2 Chronicles 20:21,22. Why did King Jehoshaphat place the choir in front of his army? (He believed that God was going to fight and win this battle for Judah, and he wanted to praise God for the victory already promised.) What two things were the singers to focus on in their music? (God’s holiness and His mercy.) What does this imply about how our worship music should be conducted today? (Answers will vary.)
Read Daniel 3:1-7. In what ways does the role of music in this story contrast with how it was used by King Jehoshaphat? (Music was used to lead people into idolatry and rebellion against God.) What lessons and warnings should we take from this for us today? (Answers will vary.)

Wednesday (December 4): Sacrifices as Part of Worship

The sacrifices offered in the wilderness sanctuary and, later, in the temples at Jerusalem, formed an important and central role in the worship experience. Without these sacrifices, the music and praise and rejoicing that were also part of the worship would have lost their significance and meaning. What role does sacrifice play in our worship as Christians today? After Christ’s death on the cross, should we focus only on the music and praise and rejoicing, or is there still an important aspect of sacrifice that must form the central part of our worship experience?

Discussion Questions:

Read Romans 12:1. What are we as Christians counseled to do in our worship to God? (Offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice.”) How well do you think the attitude of self-sacrifice fits with the popular concept of “worship” found in much of Christianity today? (It’s certainly not the focus of many worship services.) What do you think it means that our “living sacrifice” should be “holy” and “acceptable” to God? (Answers will vary. This is a worship experience that brings us more closely into harmony with God’s character and His holy law.)
Read Matthew 3:17, then John 5:30 and 6:38. Why do you think God was “well pleased” in Jesus Christ? Did it have any thing to do with Christ’s self-sacrificing attitude of surrender and obedience each day of His life? (It most certainly did!)
Read Romans 12:2. How will worshipping God as a “living sacrifice” change us? (We will become less like the world, and more like God. Our mind and “spiritual taste buds” will appreciate the things of God, and detest the things of this world.)
Read the following passage and discuss what it should mean for us today:

In the time of ancient Israel the priests critically examined every offering that was brought as a sacrifice. If any defect was discovered, the animal was refused; for the Lord had commanded that the offering should be “without blemish.” We are to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, and should we not seek to make the offering as perfect as possible? God has given us every instruction necessary for our physical, mental, and moral well-being; and it is the duty of every one of us to bring our habits of life into conformity with the divine standard in every particular. Will the Lord be pleased with anything less than the best we can offer? “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” If you do love Him with all your heart you will desire to give Him the best service of your life, and you will seek to bring every power of your being into harmony with the laws that will promote your ability to do His will. {5T 541.4}

Thursday (December 5): Priests and Levites as Part of Worship

As Hebrews 9:1-11 so beautifully explains, God designed that Israel’s priests were to be types of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest in heaven. In today’s lesson, we will see that they were also to be types of the Holy Spirit and His work in directing our worship of God today.

Discussion Questions:

Read Leviticus 10:8-11. After Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu died by offering “common fire” before the Lord, what did God say about the role and purpose of the priesthood? (The priests were to teach the people the difference between holy things and common things, and they were to also teach the people the law of God.)
Read Hebrews 5:1,2. In addition to offering sacrifices, what else did God want Israel’s priests to be doing for the people? (Showing “compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way.”) What do you think this means? (Answers will vary. They were to explain the gospel and point people in faith to the coming Messiah, Who would ultimately take their sins away.)
Read John 15:26. Of Whom does the Holy Spirit, or the Comforter, testify? (He testifies about Jesus Christ.) What does this mean? (Just as the priests were to point the people in faith to the coming Messiah, the Holy Spirit points us in faith to Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished, and what He is accomplishing even now, for us.)
Read Hebrews 10:15,16. What does God want to do for us today? (He wants to write His law on our minds and hearts.) Why is the Holy Ghost a “witness” of this? (It is through the Holy Spirit that God writes His law on our minds and hearts [see Ezekiel 36:25-27].) What does this imply about the role of the Holy Spirit in our worship of God today? (When the Holy Spirit is genuinely at work, the result will be worship of God that brings people into harmony with His law and active faith in Christ. This is what God wanted to happen for ancient Israel through the leading and influence of the priests and Levites.)

Friday (December 6): Worship and the Final Crisis

In today’s lesson we will look at the importance of true worship in our lives today, so that we can stand firm for God and continue worshipping Him during Earth’s last great conflict.

Discussion Questions:

Read Revelation 13:15 and 14:9,10. What will be the central issue that determines the fate of all people at the end of time? (True or false worship of God.)
Read Revelation 14:7. What principle, or attitude, of life is revealed in this verse that will lead us to genuine worship of God? (Fearing God and giving glory to Him in all that we do.)
Read 2 Peter 3:18 and Ephesians 4:15. What do these verses reveal about the process of transformation and sanctification that must take place in our lives? Why can we not presume that we will be able to make a one-time decision for Christ “at the end” if we have not been living in self-sacrificial worship each day of our lives? (Answers will vary. Just like a plant is trained toward a certain shape as it grows day by day, we take a certain shape spiritually day by day. Our decision for Christ tomorrow is greatly influenced by our decision for Him today.)

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