Absg 2Q2024
Absg 2Q2024
Absg 2Q2024
1
The
Great
Controversy
I f asked, “What central theme runs through all the Bible?” how would you
respond? Jesus? The plan of salvation? The Cross? Yes to all three, of course! But
these three important topics unfold against another all-encompassing theme:
the great controversy. This theme pervades the Bible, from the book of Genesis to
the book of Revelation.
The great controversy began in heaven with Lucifer’s rebellion against God. At the
heart of this cosmic conflict is the issue of God’s love. Is He fully loving? Does He
have the best interests of His creatures in view? Or is He an authoritative dictator
desiring only what is in His own self-interest?
This quarter’s lessons trace world history from God’s viewpoint, as prophecy reveals it,
from the time of Christ down through the centuries to our day and beyond. God’s very
nature is love, and therefore, all His acts are loving, though this fact may not always be
evident to finite human beings or even angels. But God’s love is progressively revealed as
the great controversy unfolds. We see its height and depth most clearly through the Cross.
At Calvary, God’s love was displayed before the entire universe, when Christ poured out
His life to redeem humanity, and Satan’s ultimate defeat was assured.
Yet, the battle rages on. Satan tried to destroy Jesus on the cross and, through the
centuries, we see him trying to destroy God’s people. Although Satan has viciously
persecuted Christ’s church and slaughtered millions, God has always been present
with His people and will never leave them.
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This quarter will trace the major developments in the great controversy, begin-
ning with the rebellion in heaven. We will explore the central issues of the conflict
between Christ and Satan. We will see the indomitable courage of the Waldenses
despite fierce persecution, and the determination of the Reformers to follow Bible
truth even in the face of torture, chains, the stake, and martyrdom.
Commenting on the faith of these spiritual
giants, Ellen G. White states, “The Bible was their The Seventh-day
authority, and by its teaching they tested all doc-
Adventist Church was
trines and all claims. Faith in God and His word
sustained these holy men as they yielded up their raised up by God to build
lives at the stake.”—The Great Controversy, p. 249. on the foundation laid
The Reformation kindled a torch of truth that by the Reformers in order
still burns brightly. The Reformers’ bedrock faith in
to restore biblical truths
Scripture and their steadfast assurance of salvation
by grace through faith paved the way for the rise that had been lost sight of
of the Advent movement, championed by William through the centuries.
Miller and a host of others around the world.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was raised up by God to build on the founda-
tion laid by the Reformers in order to restore biblical truths that had been lost sight
of through the centuries. Central to its mission is proclaiming the three angels’ mes-
sages of Revelation 14:6–12, God’s final warning to a world soon to come to an end.
This proclamation arouses the wrath of Satan, pictured as a dragon by the apostle
John: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with
the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). We will also study the final events in the
great controversy, including the triumph of God’s love over all the principalities and
powers of hell, which ushers in the creation of new heavens and a new earth.
Though the basis of this quarter’s lessons is the Bible, we will use the book The
Great Controversy, by Ellen G. White, as our thematic outline in studying this tre-
mendous topic. The chapters on which each lesson is based are noted to facilitate its
use as a companion book for further study and sharing that we all might more fully
“know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:19, NKJV).
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How to Use
This Teachers Edition
“The true teacher is not content with dull thoughts, an indolent mind, or a
loose memory. He constantly seeks higher attainments and better methods.
His life is one of continual growth. In the work of such a teacher there is a
freshness, a quickening power, that awakens and inspires his [class].”
—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 103.
1. Overview introduces the lesson topic, key texts, links with the previous lesson,
and the lesson’s theme. This segment deals with such questions as Why is this lesson
important? What does the Bible say about this subject? What are some major themes
covered in the lesson? How does this subject affect my personal life?
2. Commentary is the chief segment in the Teachers Edition. It may have two or
more sections, each one dealing with the theme introduced in the Overview segment.
The Commentary may include several in-depth discussions that enlarge the themes
outlined in the Overview. The Commentary provides an in-depth study of the themes
and offers scriptural, exegetic, illustrative discussion material that leads to a better
understanding of the themes. The Commentary also may have scriptural word study or
exegesis appropriate to the lesson. On a participatory mode, the Commentary segment
may have discussion leads, illustrations appropriate to the study, and thought questions.
3. Life Application is the final segment of the Teachers Edition for each lesson.
This section leads the class to discuss what was presented in the Commentary segment
as it impacts Christian life. The application may involve discussion, further probing
of what the lesson under study is all about, or perhaps personal testimony on how one
may feel the impact of the lesson on one’s life.
Final thought: What is mentioned above is only suggestive of the many possibilities avail-
able for presenting the lesson and is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive in its scope.
Teaching should not become monotonous, repetitious, or speculative. Good Sabbath School
teaching should be Bible-based, Christ-centered, faith-strengthening, and fellowship-building.
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L esson 1 *March 30 –April 5
(page 6 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 12:7–9, Ezek. 28:12–15,
Isa. 14:12–14, Gen. 3:15, John 17:24–26.
Memory Text: “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but
they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any
longer” (Revelation 12:7, 8, NKJV).
I
f God is so good, why is the world so bad? How can a God of love allow
so much evil to exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? In
this week’s lesson, we will explore the agelong conflict between good
and evil. Beginning with Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven, we will examine
the origin of evil and God’s long-suffering in dealing with the sin problem.
God is a God of incredible love. His very nature is love (1 John 4:7,
8). All of His actions are loving (Jer. 31:3). Love can never be forced,
coerced, or legislated. Ellen G. White states it well when she writes,
“Only by love is love awakened.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 22. To deny
the power of choice is to destroy the ability to love, and to destroy the
ability to love is to eradicate the possibility of being truly happy. God
wins our allegiance by His love. He is dealing with the great contro-
versy between good and evil in such a way that sin will never arise in
the universe again. God’s purpose is to demonstrate before the entire
universe that He has always acted in the best interests of His creatures.
Looking at the world through the lens of God’s love, in the light of the
great controversy between good and evil, reassures each of us that right
will triumph over wrong and will do so forever.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on The Great Controversy, chapters 29–30,
to prepare for Sabbath, April 6.
5
S unday March 31
(page 7 of Standard Edition)
War in Heaven
Read Revelation 12:7–9. What does this passage reveal about the free-
dom existing in heaven and the origin of evil? When Lucifer rebelled,
in what ways could God have responded?
These verses describe a cosmic conflict between good and evil. Satan
and his angels warred against Christ and, eventually, were cast out of
heaven. It seems extremely strange that war would break out in such a
perfect place as heaven. Why did it happen? Did a loving God create
a demonic angel who initiated this war? Was there some fatal flaw in
this angel that led him to rebel? The Bible clearly explains the origin of
evil. It draws the curtain aside in this conflict between good and evil.
What lessons can you draw about God’s character in His dealing
with evil?
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M onday April 1
(page 8 of Standard Edition)
Read Revelation 12:4. What does this passage reveal about Satan’s abil-
ity to deceive? How many of the angels fell for his lies about God?
When war broke out in heaven, the angels had to decide—would they
follow Jesus or Lucifer? What was the nature of this war in heaven?
Was it a physical war, or a war of ideas, or both? We don’t know the
details, but the conflict was physical enough that Satan and his angels
eventually were “cast out,” and a place was not “found for them in
heaven any longer” (Rev. 12:8, 9, NKJV). This war obviously includes
some kind of physical element.
One thing is certain about the war in heaven. Every angel had to
decide for or against Christ. Whom would they follow? Whose voice
would they listen to? The loyal angels chose to be obedient to Christ’s
loving commands, while one-third of the angels listened to the voice of
Lucifer, disobeyed God, and lost heaven. We, too, in this critical time
of earth’s history, are called to decide for or against Christ. We, too, are
to declare whose side we are on—Christ’s or Satan’s.
When God created humanity, He embedded deep within our brains the
ability to think, to reason, and to choose. The essence of our humanness is
our ability to make moral choices. We are not mere robots. We were created
in God’s image, distinct from the animal creation, in our ability to make
moral choices and live by eternal spiritual principles. After Lucifer’s rebel-
lion in heaven, and after the Fall, God has called His people to respond
to His love and be obedient to His commands by choosing to serve Him.
What lessons can we learn from the battle in heaven that relates
to our own personal battle with evil? If Satan was able to deceive
these righteous, holy heavenly beings, what does this say about
his evil attempts to deceive us?
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T uesday April 2
(page 9 of Standard Edition)
Read Genesis 3:1–3 with Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:12. What do
these texts have in common? Describe the ultimate results of sin
that plague the entire human race.
At its very core, sin is rebellion against God. Sin separates us from
God. Since God is the Source of life, separation from God leads to
death. It also leads to worry, anxiety, sickness, and disease. The suf-
fering in our world is ultimately the result of living on a sin-ravaged
planet. This certainly does not mean that every time we suffer, we have
sinned. It does mean that every one of us is affected by living on this
planet.
Read Genesis 3:15; Leviticus 5:5, 6; and John 1:29. What prom-
ise did God give Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned
that would give them hope in their despair? What service did
God initiate in Eden that would point them forward through the
centuries to the solution to the sin problem?
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W ednesday April 3
(page 10 of Standard Edition)
Read Hebrews 2:9, Galatians 3:13, and 2 Corinthians 5:21. What do these
verses tell us about the immensity of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross?
Do you ever wonder if God really loves you? Look at the Cross—look
at the crown of thorns, look at the nails in His hands and feet. With every
drop of blood that Jesus shed on Calvary, God is saying, “I love you. I do
not want to be in heaven without you. Yes, you’ve sinned; you sold yourself
into the hand of the enemy; yes, in and of yourself you are unworthy of
eternal life. But I’ve paid the ransom to get you back.” When you look at
the Cross, you never have to wonder again if you’re loved.
The Bible speaks of a Jesus who came to this world and experienced
heartache, disappointment, and pain in common with all humanity. It
reveals a Christ who faced the same temptations we face—a Christ who
triumphed over the principalities and powers of hell both in His life
and through His death on the cross—all for each one of us, personally.
Think about it: Jesus, the One who created the cosmos (see John 1:3),
stepped down from heaven and not only came into this fallen world but
suffered in it in ways none of us ever will (see Isa. 53:1–5). And He did
it because He loved us—each of us. What a powerful reason to hope!
How did Christ answer Satan’s charges on the cross? In the light
of the great controversy between good and evil, what did His
death accomplish?
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T hursday April 4
(page 11 of Standard Edition)
Read Hebrews 4:15, 16 and Hebrews 7:25. How do these verses give us
assurance in a world of temptation, suffering, disease, and death?
The text says that He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without
sin” (Heb. 4:15, NKJV). And it adds, “Let us therefore come boldly”—that
means confidently—“to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16, NKJV).
To state it very simply, Jesus presents us before the universe as
clothed in His righteousness, saved by His death, and redeemed
through His blood. Everything we should have been, He was. In Christ
there is no condemnation for the sins of our past. In Christ our guilt is
gone, and through His mighty intercession, the grip of sin on our lives
is broken. The chains that bind us are loosed, and we are free.
Read John 17:24–26. What is Christ’s longing desire in the great con-
troversy between good and evil?
Why do you think Christ sacrificed Himself for us? What makes
us so valuable to Him?
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F riday April 5
(page 12 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê If God knew that Lucifer was going to rebel, why did He give him
the power of choice in the first place? Or when Lucifer rebelled, why
didn’t God just annihilate him immediately? What kind of reaction
might the unfallen universe have had if God had immediately wiped
Lucifer out? Why is the concept of the universe’s interest in the plan
of salvation (1 Pet. 1:12, Rev. 5:13, Rev. 16:7) so important to under-
standing the great controversy?
Í What Bible texts talk about the reality of the great contro-
versy? (See, for instance, Job 1, 2; Eph. 6:12.)
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i n s i d e
Story
Volcano, Fires, and COVID-19
By Andrew McChesney
Cuban missionary Misael Delgado Rodríguez faced a major challenge on
his first Sabbath in the Canary Islands. Only five people came to worship.
Misael dove into mission outreach work, visiting former church members
and others on La Palma island. A month later, he rejoiced with a first baptism.
But then COVID-19 suspended outreach efforts, and his problems seemed to
multiply. A fire broke out in the north of the island, leaving some members
without homes. Then a fire broke out in the south. Then a volcano erupted for
85 days, leaving islanders grappling with earthquakes, toxic gas, and ashes.
Two church families lost everything.
Amid the storms, something amazing happened. Faith blossomed. Three
years after Misael’s arrival, 45 people were regularly worshipping on Sabbath.
In addition, seven people had been baptized, five were preparing for baptism,
and 15 were taking Bible studies. What happened?
Misael said intercessory prayer was key. “We pray every day at 7 a.m.,
2 p.m., and 9 p.m.,” he said. “Each member prays for five people.”
Each church department also embraced practical evangelism. One proj-
ect, an initiative of the Spanish Union of Churches Conference, saw church
members calling contacts over the phone and offering Ellen White’s Steps to
Christ and related Bible studies. Other projects included educational courses
on the church’s Facebook page aimed at the needs of families, young people,
and little children; musical evangelism in which Adventist young people held
mini-concerts on the street or while visiting the sick and needy; a program
with ADRA in which members handed out cards that could be presented for
food in supermarkets; health presentations; Bible studies; and the distribution
of The Desire of Ages and other books. On holidays, such as Mother’s Day,
church members placed a special card inside each book.
The church also opened a discipleship school where laypeople could learn
how to evangelize, and four small groups were meeting regularly in homes.
Friendship evangelism has proven very successful, Misael said. While the
volcano was erupting, church members spent two months passing out masks
and literature with health information related to volcanoes. “That way the
church became well known,” Misael said. Indeed, many of the 15 people tak-
ing Bible studies lost everything in the volcano, and they have acknowledged
that the crisis led them to God, he said. “Otherwise, they would not have been
interested in learning about God,” he said.
Misael looks back at his experience in the Canary Islands with joy. “The
beginning was very difficult,” he said. “We have been through a lot. But the
results are very satisfying. We have seen how God has blessed us.”
Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the gospel in the
Canary Islands and around the world.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
12 mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Revelation 12:7, 8
Study Focus: Rev. 12:7–9, Col. 1:16, Ezek. 28:12–15, Isa. 14:12–
14, John 17:24, Gen. 3:15.
Introduction: This week’s lesson introduces the topic of the cosmic con-
flict, or the great controversy, between Christ and Satan. We shall begin
our study by examining both the origin of evil and God’s solution to
humanity’s fall into sin.
Several aspects of the cosmic conflict merit our consideration. First, the
great controversy is not perpetual; it originated in heaven when Lucifer,
a created being, headed a band of rebel angels who challenged God, the
eternal Creator and King of all beings. Thus, we can surmise that if evil
and the devil had a beginning, they will certainly have an end.
Second, the cosmic conflict shows the radical incompatibility of good
with evil. Neither party can coexist with, or tolerate, the other: each group
yearns for the extinction of the other. When evil came into existence, it
challenged the very idea of God’s right to exist and rule, notwithstanding
the eternal nature of God.
Further, the great controversy eliminates any form of philosophical or
religious dualism in which both evil and good are coeternal, coequal, and
necessary. The biblical worldview clearly excludes the necessity of evil.
We do not need evil in order to know and appreciate what is good. Nor is
evil necessary to increase good.
Third, the fact that evil and the great controversy originated in heaven
arouses in the minds of rational and free moral agencies the notion that the
conflict is primarily spiritual in nature and must, therefore, have a spiritual
solution. While evil arose without any contribution from God (in fact, evil
rose against God), it cannot be extinguished from existence without God.
By its nature, evil damages beings and the universe fatally. Thus, only God
and His supernatural, creative power can exterminate evil altogether and
remove its catastrophic consequences.
For this reason, God’s plan of salvation does not consist in simply
identifying, acknowledging, shaming, or punishing the originators of
evil. Such measures are neither efficient nor sufficient in exterminating
evil from the universe. Rather, God solves the sin problem by taking the
consequences of sin upon Himself, in Christ. By His creative power, God
actively engages in the destruction of evil and the cleansing and restora-
tion of the universe.
Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights three major themes:
1. Evil and the cosmic conflict originated in a perfect heaven. They then
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teachers comments
spread to earth, taking root in the hearts and minds of free moral
agents, who were created in the image of God.
2. Sin and evil became manifest as rebellion against God.
3. The only way to salvation, and to the end of the cosmic conflict, is
through the Cross and through the mediation of Christ and His cre-
ative, restorative power.
The biblical teaching of humanity’s fall into sin is also present in fun-
damental belief 7:
Man and woman were made in the image of God with individu-
ality, the power and freedom to think and to do. Though created
free beings, each is an indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit,
dependent upon God for life and breath and all else. When our
first parents disobeyed God, they denied their dependence upon
Him and fell from their high position. The image of God in them
was marred and they became subject to death. Their descendants
share this fallen nature and its consequences. They are born with
weaknesses and tendencies to evil. But God in Christ reconciled
the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores in penitent mortals
the image of their Maker. Created for the glory of God, they are
called to love Him and one another, and to care for their environ-
ment.—Fundamental belief 7, “Nature of Humanity,” https://
www.adventist.org/nature-of-humanity/.
Two additional aspects of the Adventist doctrine of the great contro-
versy deserve our consideration: (1) the origin of the great controversy
theme and (2) its historicity.
First, the great controversy theme springs out of Scripture and lies at
the very foundation of the Adventist biblical interpretation and doctrinal
development. Commenting on biblical interpretation, Ellen G. White
notes:
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teachers comments
16
teachers comments
as God Himself (Rev. 12:5, 6, 10, 17), as historical as the birth and ascen-
sion of Jesus (Rev. 12:5), as historical as the existence of the church and the
persecutions against it (Rev. 12:1, 6, 11, 13–15), and as historical as the cross
of Jesus through whose blood we are saved (Rev. 12:11). While we do not
know when this cosmic conflict in heaven took place, we believe that it can
be dated “before the creation of Adam and Eve and that it was as historical as
humanity’s fall into sin at the instigation of the same Satan.”—Handbook of
Seventh-day Adventist Theology, pp. 241, 242.
2. In what way do the various theories about the origin of the conflict
between good and evil affect the understanding of human moral-
ity and responsibility? Take, for instance, the theory of evolution.
How does this theory impact our understanding of the origin of
evil and, consequently, our understanding of human morality?
What other theories regarding the origin of evil can you think of,
besides evolution, that are prevalent in your culture?
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L esson 2 *April 6–12
(page 14 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 19:41–44; Matt. 23:37,
38; Heb. 11:35–38; Rev. 2:10; Acts 2:44–47; John 13:35.
S
uppose you are a herdsman tending your goats on the Mount of
Olives overlooking Jerusalem. You hear voices. Immediately you
recognize the voice of Jesus. As the setting sun gleams off the temple
and reflects in snowy whiteness off its magnificent marble walls, Jesus
emphatically states, “ ‘Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here
upon another, that shall not be thrown down’ ” (Matt. 24:2, NKJV).
The disciples are confused, and so are you. What could Jesus pos-
sibly mean by these words? How do they relate to the end of the world
that Jesus’ disciples asked about? You listen in rapt attention as Jesus
masterfully blends events that would lead up to the destruction of
Jerusalem with those that would take place just before His return.
In the destruction of Jerusalem, we discover a foreshadowing of
Satan’s strategy both to deceive and destroy God’s people at the end
time. Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 24 clearly outlines last-day events
in the context of Jerusalem’s fall.
We will study Satan’s twofold strategy both to deceive and destroy
God’s people. What the evil one fails to accomplish through persecution,
he hopes to achieve through compromise. God is never caught by sur-
prise, and even in the most challenging times He preserves His people.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on The Great Controversy, chapters 1–2,
to prepare for Sabbath, April 13.
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S unday April 7
(page 15 of Standard Edition)
A Brokenhearted Savior
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of
Jerusalem, His heart was broken. John’s Gospel says, “He came to His
own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11, NKJV). Jesus did
everything He could to save His people from the coming destruction
of their beloved city.
Jesus’ love for His people flowed from a heart of infinite love. He
repeatedly appealed to them in love to repent and accept His gracious
invitation of mercy.
Read Luke 19:41–44; Matthew 23:37, 38; and John 5:40. What do
these verses tell you about Jesus’ attitude toward His people and
their response to His loving invitation of grace and mercy? What
revelation of God’s character do you see?
Read Matthew 24:15–20. What instruction did Jesus give to His people
to save them from the coming destruction of Jerusalem?
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M onday April 8
(page 16 of Standard Edition)
Read Psalm 46:1 and Isaiah 41:10. What do these passages tell us
about God’s providential care?
“In vain were Satan’s efforts to destroy the church of Christ by vio-
lence. The great controversy in which the disciples of Jesus yielded
up their lives did not cease when these faithful standard-bearers fell
at their post. By defeat they conquered. God’s workmen were slain,
but His work went steadily forward.”—Ellen G. White, The Great
Controversy, p. 41.
Read Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4, 31; Acts 5:42; and Acts 8:1–8. What do these
verses teach us about the challenges the New Testament church
faced and also why it grew so rapidly?
What can we learn from the early church that could help us, the
end-time church?
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W ednesday April 10
(page 18 of Standard Edition)
Read Acts 2:44–47, Acts 3:6–9, and Acts 6:1–7. Although circum-
stances vary, what principles can we learn from these passages
about authentic Christianity?
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T hursday April 11
(page 19 of Standard Edition)
A Legacy of Love
Read John 13:35 and 1 John 4:21. What do these passages reveal
about Satan’s challenge against the government of God in the great
controversy? What do they tell us about the essence of genuine
Christianity?
Love was the norm of Christian communities in the first few centuries.
Tertullian, an early Christian theologian, claimed: “It is mainly the deeds
of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. See, they say,
how they love one another.”—“Chapter 39,” in Apology, trans. S. Thelwall,
https://www.logoslibrary.org/tertullian/apology/39.html (accessed October
10, 2022).
One of the greatest revelations of God’s love was demonstrated when
two devastating pandemics plagued the early centuries around a.d. 160
and a.d. 260. Christians stepped forward and ministered to the sick and
dying. These plagues killed tens of thousands and left entire villages and
towns with scarcely an inhabitant. The unselfish, sacrificial, caring, loving
ministry of Christians made a huge impact on the population. Over time,
thousands, and eventually hundreds of thousands, and then millions in the
Roman Empire became believers in Jesus during these two epidemics.
Love, outgoing concern, and organized, selfless care of the sick and dying
created an admiration for these believers and the Christ they represented.
Rodney Stark’s The Rise of Christianity is a modern historical nar-
rative portraying these historic events in a new and improved light. In it he
describes how during the second epidemic the whole Christian community,
which was still heavily Judeo-Christian, became a virtual army of nurses,
providing the basic needs for the suffering community to survive.
“At the height of the second great epidemic, around a.d. 260, . . .
Dionysius wrote a lengthy tribute to the heroic nursing efforts of local
Christians, many of whom lost their lives while caring for others.
“Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never
sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger,
they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering
to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they
were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sick-
ness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains.”—The Rise of
Christianity (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996), p. 82.
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F riday April 12
(page 20 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê What value does persecution serve? Why do you think God
allows His people to suffer at times? And though in some cases,
such as in the early church, good was able to come of it, what
about times when it appears that nothing good has come from it?
Why in situations like this is the personal experience of God’s love
so important in order to maintain faith?
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i n s i d e
Story
Faithful Gymnast in Italy
By Andrew McChesney
Seven-year-old Sara loved gymnastics. It was easy for her, and she was
good at it. She especially liked doing cartwheels. She could do cartwheel
after cartwheel in a row, and she only stopped when she fell down.
But there was something that Sara loved even more than gymnastics. She
loved God.
So, she was not tempted to skip church when the gymnastics coach
announced that a major gymnastics show would be held on the Sabbath
in her hometown of Iesi, Italy. The show only took place once a year, and
children would show off what they had been learning to their parents and
families.
Sara felt sad when the coach said the show had been scheduled on the
Sabbath.
At home, Mother saw Sara’s downcast face.
“God can solve any problem,” she said.
She suggested that Sara could take her Sabbath problem to God.
That evening, Sara prayed, “Dear God, I am very sad to hear the news that
I will miss the show, but Your will be done.”
Sara and the other children met for gymnastics practice every Tuesday
and Thursday. The coach had announced the date for the gymnastics show
at a Tuesday practice.
Sara prayed on Tuesday night and on Wednesday night. At the Thursday
practice, the coach suddenly announced that the date for the gymnastics
show had been changed.
“We have to postpone the show by one day, until Sunday, because of some
organizational problems,” she said.
Sara couldn’t believe her ears. She was ecstatic with joy! When she excit-
edly broke the news to Mother a short time later, Mother smiled bigger than
the sun.
“You have to trust God always!” she said.
And Sara always has. This was her first experience with prayer, and it
greatly strengthened her faith in God. On Sabbath, she told the church about
what had happened. A church member prepared a special sermon about the
prayer and invited Sara onto the platform to tell her story.
“I have always prayed when facing problems in life,” Sara, now 19, told
Adventist Mission.
This mission story illustrates Spiritual Growth Objective No. 7 of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: “To help youth and young adults place
God first.” For more information, go to the website: IWillGo2020.org. Read more about
Sara next week.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 25
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Isaiah 41:10
Study Focus: Luke 19:41, 42; Matt. 23:37, 38; Matt. 24:9, 21,
22; Heb. 11:35–38; Isa. 41:10; Rev. 2:10; Acts 2:44–47; John 13:35.
taken captive. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. The booty
that the Romans took from Jerusalem funded the construction of the
Colosseum, one of the most visited monuments in Rome.
6. Bereft of its city, Jerusalem, and its temple, Judaism suffered profound
changes. The center of the Jewish religion shifted from the temple, sac-
rifices, and priests to the law. The Sadducees, the sacerdotal class, lost
most of their power, and Judaism became rabbinical.
The Fall of Jerusalem
It is no coincidence that Ellen G. White starts The Great Controversy with
the chapter entitled “The Destruction of Jerusalem.” She understood that
this tragic event of the Jewish nation was central to the great controversy
and to the identity and mission of the church. How so? To answer this
question, we need to first understand why Jerusalem fell.
From the vantage point of secular history, Jerusalem and the second
temple were destroyed because the Jews rebelled against the superpower
of the time, the Roman Empire, and were mercilessly crushed by its might,
both in an act of vengeance and as a deterrent to other potential rebels. In the
centuries that have lapsed since the fall of Jerusalem, believing Jews have
generally interpreted the destruction of Jerusalem as a disciplinary measure
that God allowed. Some scholars of Judaism have said that the Jews sinned
by transgressing God’s law, becoming immoral; others believe that the Jews
were too fractious and divided, never having learned the lesson of unity.
Whatever the case, God preserved a remnant to carry on His purposes.
However, the Bible, especially the New Testament, offers a different
explanation for the destruction of the temple. Yes, rebellion, iniquity, moral
and social corruption, and internal strife and division were certainly major
factors that led to the downfall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the
temple. But the situation that caused that tragedy was more profound than
these factors alone. To help us understand what caused the temple’s destruc-
tion, several important points, from both the Old and New Testaments, need
to be highlighted. Taken together, these points help us to understand the
main reason for the temple’s demise: Israel’s leadership rejection of Christ
and of God’s covenant.
The Original Temple
First, the original temple of Israel, built by Solomon, was destroyed by
the Babylonians, in 586 b.c., some 20 years after Judah was conquered by
Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:1, 2). The destruction happened approximately
one hundred years after the Northern Israelites fell into apostasy and were
conquered by the Assyrians. However, these two events—Israel’s demise
and the destruction of Solomon’s temple by Babylonian forces—did not
transpire simply because the Jewish nation failed to learn how to unite or
because of its moral declension. Northern Israel disappeared as a nation
because they rejected God’s covenant and went after other gods (1 Kings
27
teachers comments
12:26–33, 2 Kings 17:7–23). Like Israel, Judah had wicked kings and
corrupt elites bent on idolatry. Over time, Judah’s periods of idolatry also
increased in frequency and intensity. However, unlike Northern Israel,
Judah did not have a permanent official national policy of replacing God’s
religion with paganism. For this reason, God permitted the destruction of
Judah’s temple and its capital city, in 586 b.c., and the temporary exile of
its people, as a strategy for national renewal.
The Second Temple
Second, the second temple was destroyed in the year a.d. 70 by the
Romans, some 35 years after Jesus foretold the following three events:
(1) God would take the kingdom from Judah and give it to another nation
(Matt. 21:43); (2) Judah’s house (the temple) would be “left desolate”
(Matt. 23:38); and (3) the temple would be completely destroyed (Matt.
24:1, 2). The reason for this triple judgment? Judah’s leadership not only
failed to bring forth the fruit of the kingdom of God (Matt. 21:43) but,
as did Northern Israel of old, consciously refused to remain under the
jurisdiction and shelter of God’s wings (Matt. 23:37). In a.d. 31, the lead-
ers made an official, conscious, and deliberate decision to reject God’s
covenant, His salvation, and His Messiah (Matt. 26:1–3, 14–16, 57–68;
27:15–25; John 19:1–15). As a result, God allowed the earthly temple to
be destroyed.
God’s Grace
Third, God gave Israel and Judah all the grace necessary for redemption
and restoration before He permitted them to suffer the penalty for break-
ing His covenant. From the time of Moses to the destruction of the second
temple in a.d. 70, a span of more than 1,500 years, Judah experienced
God’s unremitting love. Despite their failures, God was willing to work
with them as long as they were willing to remain in His covenant and be
transformed by His grace and power. Even when the Jewish leaders even-
tually decided to reject God, which was followed by Jesus’ pronouncement
of doom against them, God gave them more than 35 years before He
executed that verdict. During this probationary period, Christians, such
as Peter (Acts 2–4), Stephen (Acts 7), and Paul (Romans 9–11), pleaded
with them to accept Jesus as the Messiah and to participate in God’s new
covenant. Sad to say, instead of heeding these calls, the leaders sealed their
decision to reject Christ with a heavy-handed persecution of Christians
that culminated in the murder of Stephen, in a.d. 34. However, even in the
decision to reject Judah as His representative nation, God continued to call
individual Jews to enter His new covenant and to be saved in His kingdom.
The fall of Jerusalem, therefore, illustrates God’s dealings with sinners
in the great controversy. This perspective helps to partially answer our ini-
tial question as to why Ellen White felt that this tragedy was so central to
the great controversy theme and to the identity and mission of the church.
28
teachers comments
Furthermore, Ellen White understood that the fall of Jerusalem would help
us to understand the paradox of the judgment: that is, how divine mercy
can be extended to sinners while at the same time satisfying the demands
of divine justice. On the one hand, God is full of love, compassion, and
patience, pleading with sinners to return to His kingdom. God does not want
sinners to die the second death (Ezek. 33:11). On the other hand, God is just
and righteous. Because He is holy, He cannot tolerate evil in His presence.
However, He will respect the final decision of individuals who wish to go
their own way, leaving God’s kingdom, covenant, protection, and source of
life. Still, God gives sinners ample warning that they will die if they refuse
the protections of His kingdom and the mercies of His covenant. Outside
God’s covenant there is no joy or life, for the simple reason that no created
being has life, unborrowed or underived, within themselves.
The Plan of Salvation
Fourth, despite the setbacks caused by the covenant betrayal, God con-
tinued His plan of salvation and His actions to resolve the great contro-
versy. God promised that Jesus, who was the Seed of Eve (Gen. 3:15), of
Abraham (Gen. 12:2, 3, 7; Gal. 3:16, 29), and of David (2 Sam. 7:12–15,
Mark 12:35–37), would bring salvation to humanity, liberating them
from the dominion of the devil, and would restore God’s reign on earth.
At the same time, God promised that Jesus, the true Lamb of God and
the fulfiller of the earthly sanctuary types (John 1:29, 2:19–22), would
save humanity from the guilt and the power of sin. Though the history
of humanity may seem directionless, at times, and left to the whims and
devices of the devil and of human nature, the Scriptures show a clear
progress of God’s purposeful and intentional implementation of His plan
and promise of salvation. When His own people failed Him, God worked
relentlessly to bring them back to Him and to rescue humanity from the
mire of sin. Abraham, Moses, and Judah are all examples of the rescued
and redeemed. Nothing can stop God from keeping His promises and
implementing His plans.
Types and Antitypes
Fifth, the earthly sanctuary and the sacrificial system were only antitypes
of the coming sacrifice and ministry of Jesus. When the first temple was
destroyed and Judah lamented for its past glory, God told them that the real
glory was yet future and that it depended not on materials and architecture
but on the One to whom the sanctuary pointed (Ezra 3:12, Hag. 2:9, Matt.
23:16–22). For this reason, when the second temple was destroyed, in a.d.
70, Christians did not lose hope. On the contrary, they understood that the
earthly sanctuary fulfilled its mission of pointing to Jesus, to His sacrifice,
and to His ministry of salvation in the real heavenly sanctuary above. Type
met antitype; symbol met reality. After Jesus’ incarnation, ministry, death,
resurrection, and ascension, the great controversy now was focused on the
29
teachers comments
1. What do the people in your culture think about love and righteous-
ness? Do they still have hope that there will come a time when
human society, in its entirety, will be characterized by love and
righteousness? Why, or why not? How might you explain to them
that there cannot be true and enduring love and righteousness apart
from Jesus? Or that there can be no love or righteousness apart
from His revelation of these divine qualities as seen in His sacri-
fice? Or that love and righteousness cannot exist without the Holy
Spirit’s bestowal of these qualities upon humans or His help to grow
them in us?
30
L esson 3 *April 13–19
(page 22 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: John 8:44; Prov. 23:23; Acts
20:27–32; 2 Thess. 2:7–12; Ps. 119:105, 116, 130, 133, 160; Prov. 16:25;
2 Cor. 4:3–6.
Memory Text: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘A little while longer the
light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness over-
take you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going’ ”
(John 12:35, NKJV).
I
n the Bible’s last book, Revelation, the devil is pictured as a dragon
and a serpent (Rev. 12:9). He is a dragon because he desires to destroy
God’s people, and he is a serpent because he uses all his cunning lies
to deceive them. In the years after Christ’s death, thousands were tortured,
thrown to lions, and burned at the stake by imperial Rome for refusing to
worship its deities. Yet, in the face of this cruel punishment, many stayed
faithful, the gospel continued to spread, and the church grew.
As a result, Satan changed his strategy. Scores of pagans were bap-
tized but without thorough instruction in Bible truth. Error flooded
into the church as leaders merged the truths of Scripture with popular
customs. The fourth and fifth centuries were eras of compromise when
church prelates blended pagan practices with Christian teachings.
Yet, even in life’s most difficult times, God was continually with His
people. They found Jesus, “the way, the truth and the life,” and through the
power of the Holy Spirit, they stood firm, even in the face of overwhelming
pressure to yield their conscientious convictions. They stayed loyal to God’s
revealed will in Scripture and unflinchingly stood for the truth of His Word,
regardless of the pressure placed on them, either overtly or subtly.
What Jesus says is true because He is the author of truth. Truth pro-
ceeds from the heart of an all-wise, all-loving, all-knowing God. He is
the foundation of reality and of all truth.
In contrast, Satan is a liar and the father of lies. He is prepared to use lies,
deceit, misinformation, and a distortion of the truth to lead God’s people
astray. He deceived Eve in Eden by distorting truth, creating doubt, and
blatantly denying what God said. Satan’s statement, “You shall not surely
die,” in the context of eating the fruit, was a clear contradiction of what
God had said. Throughout the centuries, Satan has used the same strategy.
He undermines confidence in God’s Word, contradicts God’s revealed will,
distorts Scripture, and at times misquotes the Bible to his advantage.
Read Proverbs 23:23, John 17:17, and John 8:32. What similarity do
you see in these Bible passages regarding the truth of God’s Word?
What is their central message?
“Satan well knew that the Holy Scriptures would enable men to
discern his deceptions and withstand his power. It was by the word
that even the Saviour of the world had resisted his attacks. At every
assault, Christ presented the shield of eternal truth, saying, ‘It is writ-
ten.’ To every suggestion of the adversary, He opposed the wisdom and
power of the word. In order for Satan to maintain his sway over men,
and establish the authority of the papal usurper, he must keep them in
ignorance of the Scriptures. The Bible would exalt God and place finite
men in their true position; therefore its sacred truths must be concealed
and suppressed. This logic was adopted by the Roman Church. For hun-
dreds of years the circulation of the Bible was prohibited. The people
were forbidden to read it or to have it in their houses, and unprincipled
priests and prelates interpreted its teachings to sustain their preten-
sions. Thus the pope came to be almost universally acknowledged as
the vicegerent of God on earth, endowed with authority over church and
state.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 51.
32
M onday April 15
(page 24 of Standard Edition)
Savage Wolves
Read Acts 20:27–32. What specific warnings did the apostle Paul give
to the church leaders from Ephesus regarding the coming apostasy?
The purpose of Paul’s counsel was to prepare the church for what was
coming. In these passages, he describes his major concern.
His concern is that “savage wolves will come in among you, not spar-
ing the flock” (Acts 20:29, NKJV). In other words, believers would face
fierce persecution from within the church.
The apostle expressed his concern when he said, “Also of your own
selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them” (Acts 20:30). Heresies would enter the church. False doc-
trines would be substituted for divine truths. Pagan practices would
prevail. In the fourth and fifth centuries, compromise subtly crept into
the Christian church, with mission advance being the probable justifi-
cation. But the terrible result was a departure from the truths of God’s
Word.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:7–12. How does the apostle Paul describe the
coming apostasy? What characteristics should believers look for?
Read Psalm 119:105, 116, 130, 133, and 160. What insights does
the psalmist give us regarding the significance of God’s Word in
the plan of salvation?
34
W ednesday April 17
(page 26 of Standard Edition)
Read Proverbs 16:25, Judges 21:25, and Isaiah 53:6. What do these
texts reveal about Satan’s strategy of deception?
Why is the human mind without the aid of the Holy Spirit
incapable of discovering divine truth? Discuss the relationship
between human reason and divine revelation. How does reason
actually help us understand divine revelation? For example, look
at Daniel 2, a prophecy that covers world history from the time
of Babylon to the Second Coming. How does a prophecy like this
powerfully appeal to human reason?
35
T hursday April 18
(page 27 of Standard Edition)
Read John 1:4, 5, 9 and 14. How do these verses describe Jesus? Note
particularly John 1:14.
During the early centuries of the Christian church, the New Testament
believers were totally committed to Christ as the One who was the light
in their darkness. They were redeemed by His grace, transformed by His
power, and motivated by His love. Even death could not break their bond
of loyalty to Christ. They recognized the devil’s deceptions in the glo
rious light of the gospel. Christ has always had men and women who, by
His grace, have stood courageously for His truth. In these early centuries,
the light of Christ’s love, grace, and truth shone through the darkness.
36
F riday April 19
(page 28 of Standard Edition)
In many parts of the world, especially where people have free access
to the Bible, Satan has employed other means to weaken its influence.
One very effective way has been through various scientific endeavors
or even biblical scholarship, which sometimes takes positions that, if
accepted, would undermine trust in the Word of God. For example,
though the book of Daniel dates itself to more than 500 years before
Christ, many Bible scholars date it, instead, to the middle of the second
century b.c. They argue that it had to be written at this time; otherwise
the prophet would have been accurately telling the future, and that can’t
happen. Therefore, they argue, Daniel was not written when it says it
was but, rather, hundreds of years later. Unfortunately, this lie about the
Bible is one of many that modern scholarship seeks to foist upon us.
And more unfortunately, many people accept this error because, after
all, Bible scholars are teaching it. No wonder Paul warns us, “Test all
things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21, NKJV).
Discussion Questions:
Ê Refer to the quote in Tuesday’s study and then consider the
following: How is Satan using similar methods today to subtly
undermine the authority of the Scriptures?
37
i n s i d e
Story
Faithful Student in Italy
By Andrew McChesney
In Italy, schoolchildren have the option of attending an hour of religion
classes every week in public school. As a small girl, Sara decided to attend
because she wanted to know more about the Bible.
Her classmates quickly realized that she knew the Bible well. So, when
the teacher asked a question, they would say, “Sara knows the answer!”
After hearing the children say this for many months, the teacher asked
Sara, “How is it that you know the Bible so well?”
“I go to the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” Sara said.
The teacher wanted to know more, so she went to church with Sara.
Sara got a new religion teacher in the sixth grade. Again she was able to
answer the teacher’s questions. Impressed, the teacher invited her to give an
hour-long class presentation about the Adventist Church. Sara prepared with
help from her pastor and other church leaders. At the end of the presenta-
tion, classmates peppered her with questions about the seventh-day Sabbath.
Today, Sara is in high school, and her religion teacher is a nun. Once, she
impressed the nun by writing a Bible verse on an exam. Other teens rarely
cited the Bible. The nun asked for an explanation, and Sara told her about
her faith. Afterward, the nun came to her church.
In another high school class, the teacher grew upset when Sara could not
answer a question about religion in Italy. Sara explained that she did not
know because she was not a member of Italy’s largest denomination. The
teacher asked several questions and invited Sara to give the class a lesson
about the Adventist Church. Sara’s presentation pleased the teacher, and she
said, “It is wonderful to learn about another faith in our class.”
The next year, however, Sara had a Saturday class from the same teacher.
The teacher pressured Sara to attend, and when she didn’t, teased her.
“Please come to school,” she said. “We won’t tell anyone that you came.”
Week after week, she mocked Sara. “I also could stay home on Saturdays,”
she said. “It would be better than coming to school.”
To Sara’s surprise, her classmates began to defend her to the teacher.
Then one Sabbath, when Sara was in church, the teacher praised her to
the class. “Even though Sara is only here half the time, she gets better marks
than the rest of you,” she said.
Sara believes God has blessed her for being open about her faith.
“I never have hidden my faith from my classmates,” she told Adventist
Mission. “My classmates respect me and know my faith is serious for me.”
This mission story illustrates Spiritual Growth Objective No. 7 of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategic plan: “To help youth and young adults place
God first.” For more information, go to the website: IWillGo2020.org.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
38 mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: John 12:35
Study Focus: Rev. 12:7–9, John 8:44, Prov. 23:23, Prov. 4:18,
John 12:35, Ps. 119:30, Acts 20:27–32, 2 Thess. 2:7–12, John 8:32.
39
teachers comments
40
teachers comments
41
teachers comments
42
teachers comments
We must not confuse compromise with God’s patience, love, and grace.
Rather, salvation and the new opportunity for life spring from God’s
sacrifice. Precisely because God did not, and could not, compromise, He
sacrificed. But He did not sacrifice us. Rather, He sacrificed His own
life. If compromise were possible, He would not have needed to die in
our place. But because He did not compromise, He chose rather to die
in our place in order to uphold His truth, to manifest His love and righ-
teousness, and to save us from the guilt and power of sin. Moreover, He
did not compromise because He knew the consequences of compromise:
suffering, misery, and death of the entire humanity and universe.
For the same reasons, God’s true people do not compromise. True,
traditional Christianity compromised the revelation of God’s truth in
Scripture. However, God worked to restore His truth in order that He
might save as many as possible. For this reason, His faithful remnant
church happily collaborates with Him to help spread His truth by reflect-
ing His light.
3. Examine your life. Do you think there are areas in your life that
are the result of compromising God’s truth? If yes, what are
they? What can you do to rectify this situation?
43
L esson 4 *April 20–26
(page 30 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Dan. 7:23–25; Rev. 12:6, 14;
Jude 3, 4; Rev. 2:10; Acts 5:28–32; Ps. 19:7–11; 1 John 5:11–13.
T
he modern Turkish seacoast city of Izmir was once the biblical city
of Smyrna, mentioned in the book of Revelation. This ancient city
of approximately 100,000 inhabitants flourished in the late first and
second centuries. It was a prosperous city, and it was fiercely loyal to Rome.
Once a year, all the citizens of Smyrna were commanded to burn incense
to the Roman gods. Evidently, in the second century, Smyrna had a thriv-
ing Christian community, as well, and many were not going to comply.
Polycarp, an early church leader, was martyred in Smyrna’s public square,
burned at the stake for refusing to betray his Lord by burning incense to
the Roman gods. When asked one last time to disavow Christ, the old man
replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no
wrong. How can I speak evil of my King who saved me?”
Throughout the centuries, men and women have been willing to expe-
rience martyrdom rather than give up their faith in Christ. Their sacrifice
rekindles our courage. The story of their commitment to Christ renews our
own commitment. This week we will look at some biblical principles that
motivated the Waldenses and later Reformers, such as Huss and Jerome, to
stay faithful to the Lord no matter what—even at the threat of death from
the same power that killed Polycarp: Rome, but now in the papal phase.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on The Great Controversy, chapters 4–6, to
prepare for Sabbath, April 27.
44
S unday April 21
(page 31 of Standard Edition)
45
M onday April 22
(page 32 of Standard Edition)
Read Revelation 2:10. What promise does God give those who are
faithful to Him in the face of death itself?
These words were written to the church at Smyrna. One of the city’s
patron gods was Dionysius, the god of festivity and fertility. When the
priests of Dionysius died, a crown was placed on their heads in their
funeral procession. John contrasts this earthly crown placed on the
head at death with the crown of life placed on the heads of those who
are victorious over the forces of evil. The crown of life is presented
to those who endured trials, difficulties, suffering, and death itself for
Christ’s sake.
The crown of life inspires these faithful believers to endure death
itself for Christ’s sake. The crown of life always motivates believers in
challenging circumstances. It inspired the Waldenses through pain and
persecution. They knew they would see Jesus one day and live with
Him forever. The crown of life also speaks to us: we may go through
trials now, but a crown of life awaits us as we keep our eyes fixed on
Jesus.
46
T uesday April 23
(page 33 of Standard Edition)
Courage to Stand
Compare Acts 5:28–32, Ephesians 6:10–12, and Revelation 3:11.
What basic principle is found in these texts?
How can we, reflecting the light of Christ, shine in our own com-
munity? Do we?
47
W ednesday April 24
(page 34 of Standard Edition)
Read 2 Timothy 2:1–3. What counsel did the apostle Paul give to
Timothy regarding sharing the Word of God?
The truth of God’s Word and the joy of salvation in Christ so filled
the hearts of the Reformers that they had to share it. John Wycliffe
spent his life translating the Word of God into English for two reasons
alone: the living Christ changed Him through the Word, and the love of
Christ motivated him to share what he had learned with others.
Before Wycliffe, very little of the Bible existed in English. Though
he died before Rome got to him, the papacy, undeterred, dug up his
remains, burned them, and threw his ashes into a river. But just as
those ashes were dispersed by the water, so God’s Word, the water
of life, spread far and wide as a result of His work. Thus God used
Wycliffe, the “Morning Star of the Reformation.”
48
T hursday April 25
(page 35 of Standard Edition)
Cheered by Hope
Read Hebrews 2:14, 15. How did believers in the Middle Ages experi-
ence the reality of the great controversy?
What was it that cheered the faithful Waldenses during the hor-
rible persecutions they faced? What gave Huss and Jerome, Tyndale,
Latimer, and the martyrs of the Middle Ages courage to face the flames
and the sword? Faith in the promises of God. They believed Christ’s
promise: “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). They found
His strength sufficient for life’s greatest trials. They even found joy
through fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. And their faithfulness
was a powerful witness to the world.
They looked beyond what was to what will be. They knew that,
through the resurrection of Christ, death was a defeated foe. For these
courageous men and women, the stranglehold of death was broken.
They clung to the promises of God’s Word and came away victorious.
Read John 5:24, John 11:25, 26, and 1 John 5:11–13. What assurances
do these promises give you personally? How do they help us in the
trials of life?
John Huss would not falter in the face of imprisonment, injustice, and
death itself. He languished in prison for months. The cold, damp conditions
brought on a fever that nearly ended his life. Nevertheless, “the grace of
God sustained him. During the weeks of suffering that passed before his
final sentence, heaven’s peace filled his soul. ‘I write this letter,’ he said to
a friend, ‘in my prison, and with my fettered hand, expecting my sentence
of death tomorrow. . . . When, with the assistance of Jesus Christ, we shall
again meet in the delicious peace of the future life, you will learn how
merciful God has shown Himself toward me, how effectually He has sup-
ported me in the midst of my temptations and trials.’—Bonnechose, vol.
2, p. 67. In the gloom of his dungeon he foresaw the triumph of the true
faith.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 107, 108.
The apostle Paul’s admonition speaks to us with increasing relevance
today. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23, NKJV). As the promises
of God sustained His people in ages past, so they sustain us today.
Further Thought: “God permitted great light to shine upon the minds
of these chosen men, revealing to them many of the errors of Rome;
but they did not receive all the light that was to be given to the world.
Through these, His servants, God was leading the people out of the
darkness of Romanism; but there were many and great obstacles for
them to meet, and He led them on, step by step, as they could bear it.
They were not prepared to receive all the light at once. Like the full
glory of the noontide sun to those who have long dwelt in darkness,
it would, if presented, have caused them to turn away. Therefore, He
revealed it to the leaders little by little, as it could be received by the
people. From century to century, other faithful workers were to follow,
to lead the people on still further in the path of reform.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, p. 103.
“In another letter, to a priest who had become a disciple of the gos-
pel, Huss spoke with deep humility of his own errors, accusing himself
‘of having felt pleasure in wearing rich apparel and of having wasted
hours in frivolous occupations.’ He then added these touching admo-
nitions: ‘May the glory of God and the salvation of souls occupy thy
mind, and not the possession of benefices and estates. Beware of adorn-
ing thy house more than thy soul; and, above all, give thy care to the
spiritual edifice. Be pious and humble with the poor, and consume not
thy substance in feasting. Shouldst thou not amend thy life and refrain
from superfluities, I fear that thou wilt be severely chastened, as I am
myself.’ ”—The Great Controversy, pp. 105, 106.
Discussion Questions:
Ê What is “progressive light”? Why does God reveal truth grad-
ually? How do these principles apply to God’s church today?
50
i n s i d e
Story
Tale of Two Neighbors
By Andrew McChesney
Mussa’s religion taught that it is wrong to raise pigs for sale. But Mussa
worked as a pig farmer.
Nicolonaga’s religion taught that it is wrong to divorce for any reason
except sexual immorality. But Nicolonaga married three times and, on top
of that, had three common-law wives at different times.
The two men, who were neighbors, lived lives that were far from their
professed religious beliefs. But God had a plan for them in Mozambique.
One day, one of Mussa’s pigs entered Nicolonaga’s vegetable garden and
caused considerable damage.
Nicolonaga was furious and demanded a fistfight. He won the brawl, and
Mussa limped away bloodied and battered. But Mussa did not intend to give
up. He vowed revenge through witchcraft. “You have thirty days to prepare
for your death,” he told Nicolonaga.
The next day, Nicolonaga woke up seriously ill. He spoke about Mussa’s
threat to his friends from the Seventh-day Adventist church, where he had
once worshipped.
As Nicolonaga’s condition steadily deteriorated, he grew worried. After
15 days, he asked church members to pray for him, and the pastor organized
a prayer team to visit his house.
But Nicolonaga did not get better. Another week passed, and his options
seemed few.
With the clock ticking down on Mussa’s 30-day deadline, the pastor called
for a night of fasting and prayer for Nicolonaga.
Early the next morning, Mussa knocked on the door of the pastor’s house.
He told a fantastic story about how his gods had fought with Nicolonaga’s
God, and Nicolonaga’s God had won. He said he could no longer take
Nicolonaga’s life. He wanted to become a Christian.
“I want to worship Nicolonaga’s God,” he said.
Nicolonaga recovered from his illness, and both he and Mussa joined an
Adventist baptismal class. Both gave their hearts to Jesus in baptism. Today,
both are powerful forces for good in their region of Mozambique.
“God is powerful, and He answers the prayers of those who seek Him in
faith,” said Nelson A. Quenesse, the pastor.
After all, he said, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who
comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6, NKJV).
Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the gospel in
Mozambique and around the world.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 51
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: John 3:14, 15
Study Focus: John 14:6; Jude 3, 4; Rev. 2:10; 1 John 1:7; Heb.
11:6; Acts 4:12; Matt. 10:18–20; Rev. 1:9.
52
teachers comments
very evil nature of Lucifer, distorted by his own lies, now was acting
to suppress any attempt of God’s people to receive, discover, live, and
proclaim the truth.
Second, there is no freedom without God. God Himself is free. He
created us in His image: free, and, therefore, moral and loving. God not
only created us free; as our Provider, He is the standard and the sus-
tainer of our freedom. We cannot have real freedom without, or against,
God. Any undertaking to establish complete autonomy apart from God,
as Lucifer wanted, would mean depriving God of His status as Creator
and Provider. Further, such an undertaking would be to dethrone Him.
So, in order to achieve absolute autonomy, Lucifer originated his rebel-
lion against God. However, Lucifer soon realized that to preserve his
autonomy, he would constantly need to suppress the very existence of
God, who by definition was the Creator and the Provider. Not only that,
Lucifer also would need to suppress any desire, in himself and others,
to return to God and to the principles of His kingdom. For this reason,
Lucifer would need to exterminate any mention of God’s existence.
Thus, because God’s people testify of God’s existence and worship Him
as their Creator and Provider, Satan could not allow the existence of
God’s people to continue unmolested. For to do so would mean acknowl-
edging the collapse of his theories, namely, that there was freedom apart
from God and His government.
Waldensians, Franciscans, and Scripture
By the beginning of the second millennium after Christ, the Roman
Catholic Church had become a fearsome, centralized, and hierarchical
behemoth in Europe. It also was a deeply corrupt institution. Church
members could not overlook these developments. They felt the need to
identify the causes of the church’s corruption and to propose solutions.
This process resulted in numerous religious and mendicant orders.
At the beginning of the thirteenth century, Francis of Assisi (1181–
1226), the rather worldly son of a wealthy family, had a mystical conver-
sion experience, after which he renounced whatever property he had and
declared his intention to imitate Christ’s poverty as much as possible.
Francis founded the order of the Franciscans, which promoted poverty as
a virtue. The Franciscans were known for their street preaching. In 1209,
Francis sought the formal recognition of his order by Pope Innocent III,
who was in power from 1198 to 1216. After an initial hesitancy, the pope
granted Francis’s request in 1210. Francis also founded a women’s order,
that of St. Clare, as well as the Third Order, comprised of laypeople.
Just several decades earlier, by the end of the twelfth century, Peter
Waldo (d. 1205), a successful businessman in southeastern France, also
experienced a conversion, renounced his riches, and preached voluntary
54
teachers comments
poverty. He also founded an order for the poor and appealed to the Papacy
for approval. Although Pope Alexander III, who presided from 1159 to
1181, initially accepted Waldo’s vow of poverty, his successor, Pope Lucius
III, who presided over the papal see from 1181 to 1185, condemned Waldo
and his movement, the Waldenses, as heretical, and banned them from
preaching. Worse, over the next several hundred years, the Roman Catholic
Church mounted horrific persecutions against the Waldenses that nearly led
to their extinction.
So, let us consider the similarities before us between these two revivalist
movements and religious orders, which emerged at about the same time in
history. The founders of both movements, Francis of Assisi and Peter Waldo,
had rather similar conversion experiences. Initially, both men founded their
orders on similar spiritual rules: poverty and street preaching. Both men
had similar desires to reform the church, and both appealed to the Papacy
for approval of their orders. However, the two orders had radically different
relations with the Papacy, and, consequently, they had different fates and
endings. The Franciscans’ request for papal approval was initially met with
hesitancy but was later granted. In contrast, Waldo’s vow of poverty, which
was initially approved by the Papacy, was later rescinded. The Franciscans
grew into one of the most influential Roman Catholic orders. (Today, we
can see its influence most notably reflected in the fact that the current pope,
although a Jesuit, honored Francis of Assisi by adopting his name.) On the
other hand, the Waldensians endured one of the cruelest persecutions in
history, persecution directed at their extermination.
The question of why is most pertinent here. What made the difference
between these two movements or orders? The answer is in their ultimate
allegiance. The Franciscans, very likely having learned from Waldo’s expe-
rience, obtained papal approval by giving ultimate allegiance to the pope.
That is, the Franciscans recognized the Papacy as the ultimate spiritual
and temporal authority on earth and vowed to support unconditionally its
authority in matters of doctrine and practice.
The Waldenses, on the other hand, believed that the ultimate authority
for our lives and teachings sprang out of God’s Holy Scripture. For this
reason, they made Scripture the heart of their study, preaching, and living.
Consequently, the Waldenses soon discovered and repudiated an increas-
ing number of the Roman Catholic Church’s falsehoods and compromises,
such as:
• the veneration of the saints,
• most of the seven Catholic sacraments,
• the concept of transubstantiation,
• auricular confession of sins to human priests,
• the practice of infant baptism,
55
teachers comments
56
L esson 5 *April 27–May 3
(page 38 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 119:162; John 16:13–15;
2 Pet. 1:20, 21; Eph. 2:8, 9; Rom. 3:23, 24; Rom. 6:15–18.
T
he Protestant Reformers had something twenty-first century
people desperately need—a purpose for their lives. In his
book, The Empty Self, renowned American psychologist Philip
Cushman discusses people who live purposeless lives. Their beliefs are
shallow. Little of real significance matters to them, and they have noth-
ing worth dying for, so they have little worth living for.
But the men, women, and children of the Protestant Reformation
were dramatically different. They had an abiding purpose worth living
for. What they believed mattered, and they were not willing to com-
promise their integrity. Their core beliefs were an inseparable part of
them. To deny these beliefs was to deny their very identity. In the face
of death itself, they had an inner peace.
In this week’s study, with examples from the Reformation, we will
explore how the life-changing teachings of Scripture provide the basis
for genuine purpose and true meaning in life. Understanding these
eternal truths will prepare us for the final crisis in the great controversy
between good and evil. The battle the Reformers fought is not yet over,
and we have been called to pick up where they left off. We, too, can
discover a God big enough for every challenge we face, a God who
gives our lives meaning and purpose as nothing worldly ever could.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 7–11 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, May 4.
57
S unday April 28
(page 39 of Standard Edition)
The Bible was the foundation of the Reformers’ faith and the essence
of their teaching. They understood that they were handling the inspired
“word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Pet. 1:23, NKJV).
They treasured every word. As they read its pages and believed its
promises, their faith was strengthened and their courage renewed. “So
with all the promises of God’s word. In them He is speaking to us indi-
vidually, speaking as directly as if we could listen to His voice. It is in
these promises that Christ communicates to us His grace and power.
They are leaves from that tree which is ‘for the healing of the nations.’
Revelation 22:2. Received, assimilated, they are to be the strength of
the character, the inspiration and sustenance of the life. Nothing else
can have such healing power. Nothing besides can impart the courage
and faith which give vital energy to the whole being.”—Ellen G. White,
The Ministry of Healing, p. 122.
The Scriptures shine joy upon our sorrow, hope upon our discourage-
ment, light upon our darkness. They give direction for our confusion,
certainty in our perplexity, strength in our weakness, and wisdom in
our ignorance. When we meditate upon the Word of God and by faith
trust its promises, God’s life-giving power energizes our entire being
physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
The Reformers saturated their minds with Scripture. They lived by
the Word, and many of them died because of the Word. They were not
casual, complacent, careless Christians with a superficial devotional
life. They knew that without the power of God’s Word, they would not
withstand the forces of evil arrayed against them.
John Wycliffe’s passion was to translate the Bible into the English lan-
guage so that the average person could read and understand it. Because
that was illegal, he was tried for his faith, condemned as a heretic, and
sentenced to death. At his trial, Wycliffe made an earnest appeal. “With
whom, think you, are ye contending? With an old man on the brink of
the grave? No! With Truth—Truth which is stronger than you, and will
overcome you.”—Wylie, book 2, chapter 13, quoted in Ellen G. White,
The Great Controversy, p. 90. Wycliffe’s dying words were fulfilled as
the light of God’s truth dispelled the darkness of the Middle Ages.
Read Daniel 12:3 and Revelation 14:13. How do these texts apply
to Tyndale’s life in a powerful way? Now think about your own life
and your impact on others. What encouragement do these texts give
regarding the opportunity you have to influence others for eternity?
59
T uesday April 30
(page 41 of Standard Edition)
What principles can we take from the following texts regarding how we
should interpret the Bible?
John 14:25, 26
John 16:13–15
2 Peter 1:20, 21
A new wind was blowing through the Christian church in the days of
Luther. Tens of thousands of people were taught to look away from their
sinful selves and look to Jesus instead. No doubt these people, looking
at themselves and what they were like, saw only things to discourage
them. What believer today doesn’t have the same experience? That’s
why we need to look, instead, to Jesus.
God’s grace changes us. One day, John Wesley attended a Moravian
meeting in London. Wesley sat amazed as he heard Luther’s introduc-
tion to Romans read. For the first time in his life, he began to under-
stand the gospel. Something stirred within, and he felt strangely drawn
to this Christ who had given His life for him. He exclaimed, “I felt I did
trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation: and an assurance was given
me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from
the law of sin and death.”—John Whitehead, The Life of the Rev. John
Wesley, M.A. (London: Stephen Couchman, 1793), p. 331.
Read 1 Peter 2:2, 2 Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:10, and Ephesians 4:18–24.
What vital truths do these passages reveal about the Christian life?
62
F riday May 3
(page 44 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê How can we explain the balance between grace and law,
between faith and good works?
Ë Why do you think it is so easy to let our minds slip into legal-
ism? How would you define legalism? Why is it so detrimental to
our Christian faith?
Í What do some people mean when they use the term “cheap
grace”? Is grace ever cheap?
63
i n s i d e
Story
Letters to the Rich and Famous
By Rebeca Ruiz Laguardia
A Spanish housewife read a startling passage that prompted her to
embark on a 35-year letter-writing campaign to proclaim Jesus’ coming to
Spanish royalty, actors and singers, and the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
The missionary initiative was born when the housewife, my mother, Pilar
Laguardia, read, “Men in business life, in high positions of trust, men with
large inventive faculties and scientific insight, men of genius, teachers of
the gospel whose minds have not been called to the special truths for this
time—these should be the first to hear the call. To them the invitation must
be given.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 230.
Reading the statement, my mother wondered, How can I, a simple house-
wife, reach these people? Moments later, she hatched a plan. She would
listen to interviews with prominent people on television and the radio and
read them in newspapers and magazines. She would seek any hint that they
were interested in spiritual matters and introduce them to God. My mother
found many opportunities. As soon as she heard someone say “I wish I had
faith” or “I’m agnostic” or “I have an emptiness inside,” she wrote a letter.
My mother has lost count of the number of letters that she has mailed to
Spanish presidents and government ministers, bishops, priests, actors, sing-
ers, authors, journalists, and inmates. In addition to Fidel Castro, recipients
include Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Italian tenor Al Bano
Carrisi, and authors Paulo Coelho and José Saramago. She never had trouble
finding mailing addresses, even before the internet. Sometimes, newspaper
articles offered clues. Other times, she called television stations and prisons.
Many people have responded. Madrid’s mayor wrote, “I’m reading the
Conflict of the Ages series, and I’m in the chapter ‘The Awakening in Spain’
in The Great Controversy. It’s very interesting, and I will continue reading.”
A bishop expressed gratitude for Steps to Christ and the Conflict of the
Ages and wrote, “May divine mercy do what’s needed to bring us light.”
Another bishop said, “I want to study the Bible better and to serve God
better. Maybe I need to correct some of my interpretations of the Bible.”
Isabel, a physician who gave up her career to enter a cloistered convent
as a nun, kept contact with my mother by phone and mail for months. In
her first letter, she said, “You can send me all the Bible materials you want.”
So, my mother did, and a seed was planted. The results are in God’s hands.
“The important thing is to plant seeds,” my mother says. “The Lord says,
‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days’ ”
(Eccles. 11:1, NKJV).
Join the Seventh-day Adventist world church in the mass promo-
tion and distribution of The Great Controversy in 2023 and 2024. Visit
greatcontroversyproject.com for more information or ask your pastor.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
64 mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Psalm 119:11
Study Focus: Ps. 119:162; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21; John 16:13, 14; Eph.
2:8, 9; Rom. 3:23-31; Rom. 5:8–10; Rom. 6:22, 23.
Introduction: The study this week highlights three central principles that
characterize the great controversy:
1. God’s character is love and justice.
2. The only way to salvation is grounded in His love and righteousness.
3. The first two principles spring out of only one source: God’s revelation
as manifested in Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures.
During medieval times, these three principles appeared to be forever
engulfed in the devil’s own darkness, never to be upheld, or proclaimed,
again. But God called several great warriors, the Reformers, to stand up in
the midst of the battlefield and raise the standard of God’s truth once more.
These warriors were few. But the paucity in the ranks of the Reformers was
meant to show that the movement was not human but divine, both in its
origins and in its operations; that is, we who are on God’s side in the great
controversy are not winning the battle by our wisdom or strength. On the
contrary, we gain the victory in the great controversy only as we give wit-
ness to what the Word of God proclaims and to what the power of God’s
grace can do, and does, for us and in us. For these reasons, the Reformers
understood that their mission was to proclaim the five great solas:
• sola scriptura (Scripture alone),
• sola gratia (grace alone),
• sola fide (faith alone),
• solus or solo Christus (Christ alone), and
• soli Deo gloria (to the glory of God alone).
Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson explores two major themes:
1. To be on God’s side in the great controversy means to manifest an
unshakable faith in Scripture as the most authoritative revelation of
God’s character and love for us.
2. To be on God’s side in the great controversy also means to manifest an
unshakable faith in God’s grace as the sole source and way of salvation.
66
teachers comments
did in the days of Jesus, the Roman Catholic prelates, priests, and scholars,
under the guise of preserving the identity and unity of the church, claimed
that not everyone could read and understand the Bible. Their withholding of
the Scriptures from the people resulted in a lack of true knowledge of God
and a dearth of spirituality, with dire results. Consequently, the absence of
Bible truth led to the rampant activation of sin; soon the church claimed
authority and control over God, His kingdom, and His way of salvation.
Because of this trajectory, the church, like the Jewish leaders of old, imposed
a “new” way of salvation: one by works. According to this teaching, people
are saved by, and through, the church, by doing what the church tells them to
do. Thus, the doctrine of the church was changed into an observance of hier-
archical and sacramental rites, while the doctrine of salvation was changed
to an acceptance of penance and indulgences. God was deprived of the very
means He had created to reach out directly to all people, which is Scripture.
By establishing the sola scriptura principle, the Protestant Reformers rose
against this demonic strategy operating within the church. The Reformers
established that Scripture was the only form of special revelation that God
gave to the church at that time and that people needed to be allowed to listen
to God directly by reading the Bible themselves. Sola scriptura does not mean
that the Protestant Reformers excluded any other form of knowledge, such
as reason, arts, or experience. What the Reformers meant by sola scriptura
is that Scripture is God’s authoritative revelation that shapes our worldview,
telling us who He is, what He has done, who we are, and what happened to us
at the Fall. Further, Scripture reveals how God saves us and what He expects
of us. Thus, the authority of Scripture is above the authority of the church and
above that of any other human authority or form of knowledge. The Word of
God created the church, not the other way around.
The sola scriptura principle is directly and inseparably related to the estab-
lishment of another principle, sola gratia/sola fide. When Martin Luther read
the Bible without the filter of tradition, he discovered in it the true character
of God and His true way of salvation. In Scripture, the Protestants discovered
the central message that God wanted to communicate to humanity in the
midst of the great controversy: our God is a God of love and righteousness,
not a tyrant. Even when we rebelled against Him, He died in our place. He
offered us the gift of His righteousness, so that we might be restored to His
kingdom when we accept this gift by faith.
The Liberal Assault
Unfortunately, in several centuries, Protestantism itself would be del-
uged by another of the devil’s strategies to sever God’s relationship
with humanity. Liberal Protestants did not prohibit people from reading
Scripture for themselves. Rather, these liberal thinkers reinterpreted the
very definition and nature of Scripture. For them, the Bible was no longer
the divine special revelation but merely a product of an evolving human
68
teachers comments
mind, culture, and morality. Thus, Scripture was not God’s Word to
humanity but mere human words, imaginations, or speculations about
God, which sprang from people’s natural or historical environment.
For this reason, according to liberal Protestantism, a direct, natural,
literal, and pious reading of Scripture, as the Word of God, is simply
wrong. Rather, we must read Scripture in the same way, and with the
same methodologies, required when reading literature, history, culture,
or philosophy.
Consequently, instead of the traditional Protestant historical-grammatical
method of reading Scripture, the adherents of liberal Protestant theology
imposed upon Scripture the historical-critical method of biblical inter-
pretation. The Protestant principle of sola scriptura collapsed because, in
this line of thinking, Scripture was now no longer the only authoritative
source of God’s special revelation. Instead, the Bible became just one of
the many historic, or monumental, documents produced by humanity.
Moreover, the sola gratia-sola fide principle also collapsed because both
Scripture and the way of salvation became products of human genius and
moral and religious effort. In addition, contrary to Scripture (Acts 4:12),
Christ is merely one of the many ways of salvation. Tragically, this view of
Scripture and this method of biblical interpretation have become dominant
throughout Christian denominations.
As God’s end-time remnant church, Seventh-day Adventists have been
divinely entrusted with the mission to, once again, proclaim the founda-
tional biblical principles of sola scriptura and sola gratia/sola fide.
69
A STORY TO TELL
Two options for sharing the mission story about Khachik in Sabbath School:
Option No. 1: Open the Children’s Mission quarterly and show a photo of
Khachik as you tell the story of how God saved his life in the former
Soviet republic of Georgia. Give the children a drawing of Georgia’s flag,
printed in the quarterly, to color as they listen.
Option No. 2: Make Khachik’s story come alive with photos of him, Georgia,
and a mission map with the Thirteenth Sabbath projects. At the end of
the story, show a short video of Khachik acknowledging that his life is in
God’s hands.
@missionquarterlies
CONTROVERSY Personal
Study
STUDY
GUIDES
Kurt Johnson, DMin
Immerse yourself in Ellen G. White’s
classic work, The Great Controversy,
like never before with this two-volume
study guide.
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 11:3–6; Zech. 4:14; Rev.
12:5, 6, 14, 15; Dan. 7:25; Isa. 54:17; Ps. 119:89; Rev. 11:15–18.
Memory Text: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word
of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8, NKJV).
T
hrough the centuries, God’s Word has been dissected, doubted, and
discarded. It has been chained in monasteries, burned in public
squares, and torn to shreds. Its believers have been ridiculed, mocked,
imprisoned, and even martyred. Through it all, God’s Word has prevailed.
The medieval church persecuted faithful, Bible-believing Christians.
Yet, God’s Word illuminated the darkness. Oppression and persecution
did not stop the proclamation of the Word of God. As English Bible
translator William Tyndale was tried for his faith, he was asked who
aided him most in spreading God’s Word. He pondered the question and
then answered, “the Bishop of Durham.” The magistrates were shocked.
Tyndale explained that on one occasion, the bishop purchased a supply of
his English Bible translation and publicly burned them. What the bishop did
not know at the time was that he was greatly aiding the cause of truth. He had
purchased the Bibles at a much higher price than usual. With such a large pur-
chase, Tyndale was able to print many more Bibles than were burned. Truth
crushed in the dust has risen again and again to shine in all its brilliance.
This week, we explore one Of the most vicious attacks on the Scriptures
and the Christian faith. During the French Revolution, blood flowed in
the streets of France. The guillotine was set up in Paris’s public square,
and thousands were slaughtered. Atheism became the state religion.
Nevertheless, the witness of God’s Word could not be silenced.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 12–17 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, May 11.
72
S unday May 5
(page 47 of Standard Edition)
Two Witnesses
Read Revelation 11:3–6. List five identifying features of the two wit-
nesses you discover in this passage.
73
M onday May 6
(page 48 of Standard Edition)
The two witnesses “ ‘will prophesy one thousand two hundred and
sixty days, clothed in sackcloth’ ” (Rev. 11:3, NKJV). This is the same
time period as the 42 months during which the “Gentiles” (those who
oppose God’s truth) will tread the Holy City underfoot (Rev. 11:2). The
enemies of God tread underfoot God’s truth for 1,260 days (42 x 30
= 1,260, each day symbolizing a year in apocalyptic prophecy), and
God’s two witnesses, the Old and New Testaments, prophesy against
them during this same time.
As we already have seen (see lesson 4), Daniel 7:25 says the
little-horn power that would arise out of the breakup of the Roman
Empire would persecute God’s people “ ‘for a time and times [literally,
“two times”] and half a time’ ” (NKJV). A “time” is one year (360 days).
So, three and a half times equals 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:6, 13 talks about 1,260 days of persecution for the
people of God. Revelation 12:14 talks of a time, times, and half a
time. Revelation 13:5 talks about 42 months. We find both 42 months
and 1,260 days mentioned in Revelation 11:2, 3. All these prophecies
describe different aspects of the same historical time period.
When the authority of Scripture is neglected, other (human) authori-
ties arise instead. This often leads to persecution of those who uphold
the Word of God, which happened during the time of papal domination
from a.d. 538 to a.d. 1798, when the medieval church descended into
deep spiritual darkness. The decrees of men substituted for the com-
mandments of God. Human traditions overshadowed the simplicity of
the gospel. The Roman Church united with the secular power to extend
its authority over all of Europe.
During these 1,260 years, the Word of God—His two witnesses—were
clothed in sackcloth. Their truths were hidden under a vast pile of tradition
and ritual. These two witnesses still prophesied; the Bible still spoke. Even
amid this spiritual darkness, God’s Word was preserved. There were those
who cherished it and lived by its precepts. But in comparison to the masses
in Europe, they were few. The Waldenses, John Huss, Jerome, Martin
Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, John and Charles Wesley, and a host
of other Reformers were faithful to God’s Word as they understood it.
By a.d. 538, the pagan Roman Empire had collapsed. Justinian, the
Roman emperor, surrendered civil, political, and religious authority
to Pope Vigillis. The long period of the medieval church’s domination
began. It continued until a.d. 1798. The French general Berthier, on
orders from Napoleon, marched unopposed into Rome on February
10, 1798. Pope Pius VI was taken captive and brought back to France,
where he died. This date marks the prophetically predicted end of the
Roman Church’s secular authority, the 1,260 days or years as depicted
in Daniel and Revelation (see yesterday’s study).
What a powerful manifestation of the truth of biblical prophecy!
Daniel, writing more than 500 years before Christ, so accurately pre-
dicted events more than 2,300 years later. We can, indeed, trust the
prophecies given in the Bible.
Meanwhile, during all this, the truth of the gospel was kept alive by
the witness of the Word. But even greater challenges threatened biblical
truth. The beast that ascended from the bottomless pit (Satan) made war
against the Scriptures. He initiated new assaults on the Bible’s authority
through the French Revolution that began in 1789.
In the French Revolution, the government officially established the
Cult of Reason as a state-sponsored atheistic religion, intended to replace
Christianity. A Festival of Reason was held nationwide on November 10,
1793. Churches across France were turned into Temples of Reason, and
a living woman was enthroned as the Goddess of Reason. Bibles were
burned in the streets. God was declared nonexistent, and death was pro-
nounced to be an endless sleep. Satan worked through godless men to
kill God’s two witnesses. Their dead bodies would “lie in the street of the
great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our
Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11:8, NKJV).
Egypt was a culture of many gods that denied the true God (see Exod.
5:2). Sodom represents gross immorality. In the French Revolution,
God’s two witnesses—the Old and New Testaments—lay dead as
a result of the atheism and immorality that ran rampant as normal
restraints were loosed in revolution and bloodshed.
Revelation 11:9 says that the bodies of God’s two witnesses would
lie unburied for “three-and-a-half days” (NKJV), i.e., prophetic “days”
representing three and a half literal years. Atheism was at its height in
the French Revolution, at least for about three and a half years. This
period extended from November 26, 1793, when a decree issued in
Paris abolished religion, to June 17, 1797, when the French government
removed its restrictive religious laws.
75
W ednesday May 8
(page 50 of Standard Edition)
Read Psalm 119:89 and Psalm 111:7, 8. What do these passages tell us
about the Bible, and why we can trust it?
76
T hursday May 9
(page 51 of Standard Edition)
Truth Triumphant
Despite the attacks of the enemy, God’s work on earth will come
to a glorious climax. The gospel will be preached to “every nation,
tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6, NKJV). The great controversy
between Christ and Satan will end with Christ completely defeating the
powers of hell. God’s kingdom will triumph over evil, and sin will be
eradicated forever from the universe. Revelation 11 begins with Satan’s
attempt through the French Revolution to destroy the Christian faith
and eradicate belief in God, but the chapter ends with the triumph of
God’s kingdom over the principalities and powers of evil. It provides
encouragement to all who go through fiery trials for the cause of Christ
and His truth.
Read Revelation 11:19. What did John see opened in heaven? And
what did he see as he looked up into heaven?
77
F riday May 10
(page 52 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê How are the principles of the great controversy revealed in the
French Revolution?
78
i n s i d e
Story
One Angel, Four Encounters
By Nelson Cinco Reis Chitaonga
and Calavete Sabonete Ossifo
Few people can say that they have seen an angel. Oyele says he has seen an
angel—not just once, but four times.
Oyele slipped away from his childhood faith as he labored for three years
away from home, helping construct a 250-mile (400-kilometer) road between
the cities of Mocuba and Nampula in Mozambique. It was tough work, and
he sought relief in ways that he knew violated God’s law.
One day, several strangers approached Oyele, who was drunk after work,
and asked if he was aware that the Bible taught that the Sabbath was on the
seventh day of the week. Oyele was convinced that the strangers were wrong.
“Prove it to me from the Bible,” he said.
The strangers, who introduced themselves as Seventh-day Adventists,
opened the Bible to the fourth commandment and read, “Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8, NKJV). Then they turned to Ezekiel
20:20 and read, “Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me
and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God” (NKJV).
Oyele read and reread the verses over the next few days. He wondered if
he was reading truth from God. Even though he had gone to church since he
was a boy, he had never noticed the verses before.
As he thought and prayed, a shining angel appeared at night over the house
where he was staying. “Strength!” the angel said. “You are on the right path.”
The next night, he saw the angel again in the same place. “Strength!” the
angel said. “You are on the right path.” The same thing happened the third
night. Oyele went to an Adventist church the next Sabbath. After that, he
worshiped regularly with the Adventists.
When his three-year contract ended, Oyele returned home and was sur-
prised to find that his wife and children had joined the Adventist Church. He
had had no contact with them during his extended absence.
“What a coincidence!” his wife said when she learned that Oyele had been
going to an Adventist church. “Is this by chance?”
Back home, Oyele went to the Adventist church on Saturdays and his
childhood church on Sundays. He wasn’t sure what to do. Then the angel
appeared for a fourth time. “What you are studying is true,” the angel said.
Oyele decided on the spot to become a Seventh-day Adventist.
There are few Adventists where Oyele lives, but God has blessed his
efforts to share the good news that Jesus is coming soon. Oyele has helped
start three house churches. “Evangelize anyone, even if they’re drunk,” he
said. “God is the one who converts, and there are many people who God has
prepared to accept the gospel. They only need to be touched by you.”
Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the
gospel in Mozambique and around the world.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 79
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Isaiah 40:8
Study Focus: Rev. 11:2–11; Rev. 12:6, 14, 15; Zech. 4:14; Ps.
119:105; John 5:39; Dan. 7:25; Isa. 40:8; Ps. 119:89; Isa. 54:17.
were suppressed during the Middle Ages? Did not the people of that time
know about the Bible? Were not the cathedrals and churches decorated
with biblical themes? Were not the scholastics teaching their students
from the Bible in their university classes? The answer to all of these ques-
tions is yes. So, why insist that the 1,260-year period, between a.d. 538
and a.d. 1798, was a time of persecution, a time when the two witnesses
wore sackcloth, a symbol of crisis and humiliation?
Before answering the question, let us complicate the issue a bit further.
Some may be quick to point out that persecution against Scripture existed
before a.d. 538. Indeed, the Romans attempted to mock or suppress
Scripture during the early persecutions against Christians. The pagan
emperor Diocletian (emperor a.d. 284–305) specifically targeted the Bible
to be annihilated, ruling that Christians must renounce, and denounce,
their holy book. While most Christians did not have Bibles, some who
had biblical manuscripts surrendered them to be publicly burned and
desecrated; others died for their faith instead. Eventually, the Word of
God emerged honored and victorious from this onslaught. At the end of
the 1,260-year prophetic period, French revolutionaries, as well as other
later dictatorial atheistic and Communist regimes, also targeted Christian
Scripture for annihilation, just as Diocletian had.
Unlike Diocletian, however, the French Revolutionaries succeeded in
annihilating Scripture in their territory for a short period of time (Rev.
11:7–9). True, both Diocletian and the insurrectionists of the French
Revolution sought to denigrate the Word of God; but the French revolu-
tionaries did so by attempting to utterly annihilate it instead of permitting
it to prophesy in sackcloth. In addition, the period of 1,260 years, during
which the two witnesses suffered humiliation, far exceeds the first two
or three centuries of persecutions, the ten years of persecution under
Diocletian, or the few years of the French Revolution. For these reasons,
we must look elsewhere in history to discover the meaning of the Word of
God ministering in sackcloth.
Thus, to understand when, and how, the two witnesses or the Scriptures
ministered in sackcloth, we need to emphasize two facts. One, the two
witnesses ministered during a period of 1,260 years. As our lesson details,
Seventh-day Adventists understand that this period spanned from a.d. 538
to a.d. 1798 and encompassed the rise, the establishment, and the rule of
the Roman Catholic Church. Two, the two witnesses were not killed dur-
ing this period but were clothed in sackcloth.
The allusions to Zechariah (Rev. 11:4, Zech. 4:14), Elijah (Rev. 11:5,
6), and Moses (Rev. 11:6) in Revelation 11 seem to suggest that the
prophetic ministry of the two witnesses, wearing sackcloth, took place
within the context of the persecution of God’s people. Revelation 11 does
not say that the two witnesses were killed during the 1,260 years; rather,
they were empowered by God to prophesy wearing sackcloth during
81
teachers comments
this time (Rev. 11:3). Elijah wore sackcloth during a time of profound
spiritual crises in Northern Israel, when that nation had consciously and
deliberately changed God’s law, placing themselves above, and against,
God’s revelation. Likewise, the major question is not whether the Roman
Catholic Church had any knowledge of Scripture, or used Scripture at all
to do theology, during the 1,260 years of church supremacy and persecu-
tion. The question is: What was the church’s attitude toward Scripture
throughout this persecuting period? The Roman Catholic leaders’ attitude
closely resembled the attitude of Northern Israel: they knew God’s special
revelation, but they deliberately placed themselves above it.
The Protestant principle of sola scriptura emphasizes that Scripture is
the complete, self-sufficient, and clear revelation of God. Whenever the
divine revelation is an inconvenience, or hindrance, to a human project,
the devil and his false teachers introduce traditions to justify reinterpreting
the inconvenient biblical passages; or they simply introduce new teach-
ings or practices that are crassly against Scripture. Church tradition and
the magisterium are portrayed as the exclusive interpreters of the Bible
and as the only authority with the power to create and establish dogmas.
God’s Word is diminished, denigrated, and placed under the control of
the church, though Scripture clearly stipulates that it must be the other
way around. In this regard, several quotations from the Catechism of the
Catholic Church (CCC) are simply astonishing.
According to the CCC, God’s revelation “through his Word in the Holy
Spirit” is “present and active in the Church,” and thus church tradition is
an inseparable part of God’s special revelation, just as the prophets and the
apostles (CCC, p. 79). For this reason, “the Church, to whom the transmis-
sion and interpretation of Revelation are entrusted, ‘does not derive her
certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures alone. Both
Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal senti-
ments of devotion and reverence’ ” (CCC, p. 82).
True, the CCC does stipulate that the magisterium, being the only
interpreter of Scripture (CCC, pp. 86, 100), “is not superior to the Word of
God, but is its servant” (CCC, p. 86). However, the magisterium does not
draw only from Scripture but from both Scripture and tradition (CCC, p.
82). Because tradition is of equal authority with Scripture, and because the
magisterium (“the Pope and the bishops in communion with him”) has the
sole authority to “authentically” interpret the Word of God (CCC, p. 100),
the magisterium will draw materials from both tradition and Scripture,
whenever convenient.
The experiences of both Northern Israel and Judah show that, when
tradition is placed on the same level with Scripture, Scripture is not only
relegated to a lower level, from the divine to the human, but eventually
82
teachers comments
83 83
teachers comments
84
L esson 7 *May 11–17
(page 56 of Standard Edition)
Motivated by Hope
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Thess. 4:13–18; Matt.
24:27, 30, 31; 2 Pet. 1:19–21; Dan. 8:14; Dan. 9:20–27; Ezra 7:7–13.
Memory Text: “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our
God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord;
we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’ ”
(Isaiah 25:9, NKJV).
T
he second coming of Jesus is one of the central themes of
Scripture. It is a golden thread that runs through the Bible’s sacred
pages. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references
to Christ’s second coming in the Old Testament. In the 260 chapters of
the New Testament, there are more than 300 references to the return of
Christ. One in every 25 verses mentions it. Twenty-three of the 27 New
Testament books refer to this great event.
After the Reformation in Europe foundered and was hampered by
divisions and strife, Protestantism took root in the New World, includ-
ing the United States, where many sought to pick up the mantle of truth,
including the truth about the Second Coming.
Among them was a Baptist farmer named William Miller. From his
study of the Bible, he believed that Jesus was coming soon, even in his
lifetime, and then began preaching that message. Miller started a move-
ment that, though facing a great disappointment, opened up to many
people Bible truths that remain relevant to this day.
In this week’s lesson, we will examine why the second coming of
Christ has filled the hearts of believers with joy through the centuries
and how we can be ready for that great event.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 18–21 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, May 18.
85
S unday May 12
(page 57 of Standard Edition)
_____________________________________________________
86
M onday May 13
(page 58 of Standard Edition)
Read Acts 1:9–11; Revelation 1:7; and Matthew 24:27, 30, 31. What
do these verses teach us about the manner of our Lord’s return?
Read Isaiah 28:9, 10; Proverbs 8:8, 9; John 16:13; and 2 Peter 1:19–21.
What principles of Bible interpretation do you discover in these
passages?
Read Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:45; 1 Peter 1:10, 11; and Revelation 1:1–3.
What do these passages teach us about understanding the prophe-
cies of the Bible?
The symbols in the prophetic books are not locked in mystery. A lov-
ing God has given us His prophetic Word to prepare us for the climactic
events soon to unfold in this world. William Miller clearly understood
that prophecy was its own best interpreter. The symbols of prophecy
are made clear by the Bible itself. Beasts represent kings or kingdoms
(Dan. 7:17, 23). Wind represents destruction (Jer. 49:36). Water repre-
sents peoples or nations (Rev. 17:15). A woman represents the church
(Jer. 6:2, Eph. 5:22–32). The time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation
also are given in symbolic language, with one prophetic day represent-
ing one literal year (Num. 14:34, Ezek. 4:6). As William Miller applied
these principles of biblical interpretation, he was startled at what he dis-
covered regarding what he believed to be the timing of Christ’s return.
88
W ednesday May 15
(page 60 of Standard Edition)
Read Mark 1:15, Galatians 4:4, and Romans 5:6. What do these verses
tell us about God’s timetable for the First Advent?
Read Daniel 8:14. What event was to occur at the end of the 2,300 days?
William Miller accepted the popular view that the “cleansing of the
sanctuary” was the purification of the earth by fire. He diligently studied
the Scriptures to understand an event of such stupendous importance.
He discovered the linkage between Daniel 8 and Daniel 9. In Daniel 8,
the angel was instructed to “make this man understand the vision” (Dan.
8:16). By the end of the chapter, the only portion of the entire vision of
Daniel 8 left unexplained (see Dan. 8:27) was the part about the 2,300
days. Later the angel returned to Daniel and declared, “ ‘I have now come
forth to give you skill to understand’ ” (Dan. 9:22, NKJV; see also Dan.
9:23, 25–27). This was to help him understand about the 2,300 days.
We know this because, after bidding Daniel to “ ‘consider the matter,
and understand the vision’ ” (Dan. 9:23, NKJV), the first words of the
angel were: “ ‘Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your
holy city’ ” (Dan. 9:24, NKJV). The word translated “determined” literally
means “cut off.” Seventy weeks, 490 years, are to be cut off. But from
what? The vision of the 2,300 days, obviously—the only part of Daniel
8 that Daniel did not understand, and that the angel now came to explain.
And since the starting point of the 70 weeks was “ ‘from the going
forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem’ ” (Dan. 9:25,
NKJV), Miller knew that if he had that date, he could know the begin-
ning of the 70 weeks and the 2,300-day prophecy.
89
T hursday May 16
(page 61 of Standard Edition)
Read Daniel 9:25, 26. When would this entire prophetic period begin?
What major events do these verses predict?
“Like the first disciples, William Miller and his associates did not,
themselves, fully comprehend the import of the message which they
bore. Errors that had been long established in the church prevented
them from arriving at a correct interpretation of an important point in
the prophecy. Therefore, though they proclaimed the message which
God had committed to them to be given to the world, yet through a
misapprehension of its meaning they suffered disappointment.”—Ellen
G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 351, 352.
“Yet God accomplished His own beneficent purpose in permitting the
warning of the judgment to be given just as it was. The great day was
at hand, and in His providence the people were brought to the test of a
definite time, in order to reveal to them what was in their hearts. The
message was designed for the testing and purification of the church.
They were to be led to see whether their affections were set upon this
world or upon Christ and heaven. They professed to love the Saviour;
now they were to prove their love. Were they ready to renounce their
worldly hopes and ambitions, and welcome with joy the advent of their
Lord? The message was designed to enable them to discern their true
spiritual state; it was sent in mercy to arouse them to seek the Lord with
repentance and humiliation.”—The Great Controversy, p. 353.
Discussion Questions:
Ê What lessons can we learn from William Miller’s experience?
Does God at times overrule our mistaken understanding?
91
i n s i d e
Story
Unlocking Hearts
By F. Edgar Nunes
On a recent Sabbath, two Syrian refugees attended the worship services
at the Kingston Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Canadian province of
Ontario. As the church’s pastor, I rejoice at the sight of any visitor, but to be
able to welcome a mother and daughter who belong to another world reli-
gion was an unexpected privilege. How did they hear about us? Who invited
them to our worship service?
It turned out that long before they set foot in our church, the Syrian refu-
gees had been befriended by one of the church members, Shirley.
Shirley has a big heart for strangers, especially refugees, and she greets
people with a warm smile that melts barriers away. She loves to help in any
way she can, and people are moved by her kindness and compassion. They
readily accept her invitations to family dinners and summer picnics. The
Syrian mother and daughter, Eman and Heba, accepted Shirley’s invitation
to come to church on Sabbath.
After the worship service, we visited outside the sanctuary. Eman and
Heba seemed happy to talk and readily accepted my offer to pray for them.
Afterward, I asked if they would be interested in a copy of the Gospel of
John in Arabic, printed by the Canadian Bible Society.
“I won’t be offended if you say, ‘No,’ ” I said.
The mother accepted the book.
“We believe Jesus is a prophet, so we will read the book,” she said.
A few days later, Shirley called to ask if I spoke “Sudanese.”
“I have another family from Africa that I would like you to visit,” she said.
Shirley’s genuine love and warmth for strangers keeps unlocking hearts.
Her example inspires us to follow Christ’s method. “Christ’s method alone
will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men
as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, minis-
tered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow
Me.’ ”—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 143.
Shirley mingles with people, listening, serving, and showing disinterested
love and acceptance, thereby breaking down the most formidable barriers.
We also can go from heart to heart as Shirley does every day.
Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another” (John 13:35, NKJV). The love that reveals we are His
disciples is the same power that opens the hearts of strangers and moves
them to consider becoming His disciples.
This mission story illustrates Mission Objective No. 2, “To strengthen and diversify
Adventist outreach in large cities, across the 10/40 Window, among unreached and
under-reached people groups, and to non-Christian religions.” For more information,
go to the website: IWillGo2020.org.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
92 mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Isaiah 25:9
Study Focus: Matt. 13:30, 38–41; 2 Tim. 3:13; Matt. 24:27, 30,
31; 1 Cor. 15:51–53; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; Dan. 8:14; Dan. 7:9–14; Dan.
9:20–27; Rom. 13:11.
era, but only the last 1,000 years before Christ’s return. During this 1,000
years, Christ will work through the Holy Spirit and through the church to
spread the gospel throughout the entire world to establish His millennial
kingdom. As most of the earth’s population accepted the gospel, the power
and control of the devil would diminish, and the world would gradually
enter its golden age, a period of peace, righteousness, justice, love, and
prosperity that would serve as a foretaste of the coming of God’s eternal
kingdom. Highly optimistic about the nature of the human individual and
society, postmillennialists did not envision a time when the church would
become corrupt or when the antichrist would control and oppress the
church and the world. The millennium would be followed by the second
coming of Christ, by the general resurrection, the last judgment, and the
eternal divine kingdom.
Judging by the success of the gospel in the world during the eighteenth
century, the nineteenth-century postmillennialists concluded that the mil-
lennium was still in the future, albeit a very near future, one that even was
at hand. Moreover, since the millennial kingdom would be inaugurated
through the church by Christ, the Protestants rolled up their sleeves and
began working hard to bring about the millennium and to do so in their
lifetime. Change and progress filled the air of America. An increasing
number of biblical societies published Bibles and Christian literature.
Missionaries were sent overseas to prepare the world to accept the gos-
pel and to enter the millennial kingdom. Parallel to this development, an
increasing number of technological inventions contributed to the rise of
the quality of life in America and around the world. Temperance societies
focused on improving the quality of people’s health through abstinence
from alcohol. Noting the absence of major wars, political parties and all
types of social movements called for profound social changes compatible
with the establishment of God’s millennial kingdom.
Not all, however, followed the postmillennial excitement of the majority.
The original premillennial ideas of the apostles and of the apostolic fathers
were revived by the Anabaptist Reformers in the sixteenth century; and then
continued by some English Evangelicals through the eighteenth century; and,
finally, began spreading in North America during the first half of the nine-
teenth century. In the nineteenth century, the greatest proponents of biblical
premillennialism were William Miller and, after the Great Disappointment,
the Seventh-day Adventists. Like the postmillennialists, the Adventist premil
lennialists believed that the millennium represented 1,000 literal years, that
the millennium was still in the future, and that it would begin soon.
Seventh-day Adventists
Unlike the postmillennialists, however, the Seventh-day Adventist pre
millennialists understood from their Bibles that things would worsen for
95
teachers comments
God’s people before the day of the Lord (2 Pet. 3:3–13), that Jesus would
come before the millennium (Rev. 19:11–16) to save His persecuted church,
resurrect His people, and take them all with Him to heaven (1 Thess. 4:13–
18). In heaven, God’s people would not only reign with Christ (Rev 20:4, 6)
but also participate with God in the judgment of the wicked (Rev. 20:4, 1 Cor.
6:2). During that time, the devil is described as “bound . . . for a thousand
years” (Rev. 20:2) on earth because he “could not deceive the nations” (Rev.
20:3, CJB). These nations constitute the wicked who will not be resurrected
until the end of the 1,000 years (Rev. 20:2, 3, 5). Once the millennial judg-
ment ends, Jesus returns to planet Earth with all His saints. He resurrects the
wicked (Rev. 20:5, 7, 13) and executes the last judgment (Rev. 20:11, 12). The
devil tries to deceive the wicked one last time in order to incite them to fight
against God and take His kingdom by force (Rev. 20:7–9). This event culmi-
nates the great controversy; Christ executes His judgments, and the wicked,
the devil, and evil, as well as death itself, are all cast into the “lake of fire”
(Rev. 20:9, 10, 14, 15) and are forever annihilated.
Miller and the Seventh-day Adventists did not share the optimism of their
postmillennial contemporaries about human nature and about the bright,
utopic near future of humanity. But this stance was not because Miller and the
Adventists were antisocial, pessimistic, or negativistic by nature and thus inca-
pable of rejoicing over the progress and hope of humanity. Rather, Miller and
the Seventh-day Adventists arrived at their premillennialist understanding from
their solid, literal, historical-grammatical study of the Bible. For this reason,
they rejected both amillennialism and postmillennialism because these doc-
trines were rooted, not in the Bible, but in the presuppositions of ancient Greek
philosophy or of contemporary socio-economic-political studies. The postula-
tions of the amillennialists or postmillennialists are not only absent from the
Bible, but they also go contrary to biblical teachings, thus distorting the gospel
and generating false hope. Miller and the Seventh-day Adventists longed for
hope, but they wanted a hope built on the solid foundation of the Word of God.
In just a few decades, the twentieth century’s two world wars and one
cold war pulverized the postmillennial optimism about human nature and
about humanity’s gradual ushering in of God’s millennial kingdom of peace
and prosperity. Most Evangelicals returned to premillennialism. True, this
premillennialism was repackaged and distorted, falling into the unbiblical
teaching of dispensationalism. Nevertheless, the mere fact that Evangelicals
returned to premillennialism indicates that ammillennialism and postmillen-
nialism are not only unbiblical but an inadequate and disappointing exegesis
of end-time events. Biblical premillennialism is the only foundation for hope.
It teaches that while humanity cannot save itself or the world, Jesus will come
again in the most difficult time of history. Before the millennium, He will
save us from the final attacks of the devil and his armies and will lead the
great controversy toward its end.
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teachers comments
1. How does the second coming of Jesus Christ bring hope to your
religious and/or cultural context? How can you explain to your
neighbors that the return of Jesus is humanity’s only hope?
97
L esson 8 *May 18–24
(page 64 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Exod. 25:8, 9, 40; Heb. 8:1–6;
Lev. 16:21, 29–34; Lev. 23:26–32; Heb. 9:23–28; Dan. 7:9, 10.
Memory Text: “We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the
right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of
the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and
not man” (Hebrews 8:1, 2, NKJV).
S
hortly after the disappointment of October 22, 1844, some of the
Millerites came to understand that the 2,300-day prophecy didn’t
deal with the second coming of Jesus but with Christ’s work in
the heavenly sanctuary.
The cleansing of the sanctuary in heaven was the fulfillment of the
earthly cleansing of the earthly sanctuary. To understand this important
truth better, look at the parallel between Daniel 7 and Daniel 8:
Daniel 7 Daniel 8
Babylon ------
Media-Persia Media-Persia
Greece Greece
Rome Rome
Judgment in heaven Cleansing of the sanctuary
These parallels show the nature of the cleansing of the sanctuary, the pre-
Advent judgment. This week we explore Christ’s ministry in heaven.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 22–24 and 28 of The Great
Controversy, to prepare for Sabbath, May 25.
98
S unday May 19
(page 65 of Standard Edition)
What does it mean for you to know that Jesus is in heaven minis
tering in your behalf, meaning that He is there mediating for
you? Why do you need a Mediator in your behalf? Why is this
truth good news?
99
M onday May 20
(page 66 of Standard Edition)
The priests ministered every day of the year, but on the Day of
Atonement, called Yom Kippur in Hebrew, the eyes of all Israel turned
toward the sanctuary. Leviticus 16 and 23 give explicit instructions for
the Day of Atonement. All regular activity ceased. Everyone fasted.
While the high priest entered the presence of God for them in the Most
Holy Place, the people examined their hearts. They sought God in
humility and heartfelt confession.
Anyone who was not “afflicted” on the Day of Atonement would be
“cut off,” no longer part of the chosen people (Lev. 23:27, 29). On the
Day of Atonement, the high priest took the blood of the Lord’s goat
into the sanctuary and, after sprinkling it on the mercy seat, applied
the blood to the horns of the golden altar and of the brazen altar, com-
pletely cleansing the entire sanctuary. When he had made “an end of
reconciling,” the high priest placed his hands on the live goat and con-
fessed Israel’s sins. Then it was led into the wilderness to be separated
from the camp forever (Lev. 16:20–22).
The blood was transferred into the sanctuary during the daily ser-
vices, showing the recording of sin (Jer. 17:1) and God’s taking respon-
sibility for its ultimate disposition. Now, on the Day of Atonement,
it was transferred out of the sanctuary and placed on the head of the
scapegoat Azazel, representing Satan and revealing his ultimate respon-
sibility for the sin problem.
This goat was led far into the wilderness so that, at the close of the
Day of Atonement, God had a clean sanctuary and a clean people. In
the heavenly sanctuary, Christ ministers for us first in the Holy Place,
and now, in the Most Holy Place since 1844, at the end of the 2,300
days.
We will get through this great judgment because of Jesus, our
Substitute. As Ellen G. White said, we are “justified by His righteous-
ness, in which we had no share.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 25. As a result
of this righteousness—credited (imputed) to us—we afflict our souls,
which is a turning away from sin. That means we have not come to a
comfortable acceptance of evil nor are we excusing or clinging to cher-
ished sins. Instead we are growing in grace and living a life of holiness.
Read Revelation 22:10–12. When Jesus returns, what is the fate of all
humanity? What clear declaration is made to John?
Since Christ comes to give out His final rewards, there must be a
judgment before that, to show who will receive what reward when He
comes. When Christ returns, there is no second chance. Every human
being has had sufficient information to make their final, irrevocable
decision for or against Christ.
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W ednesday May 22
(page 68 of Standard Edition)
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T hursday May 23
(page 69 of Standard Edition)
Once and for all, Christ died upon the cross as a perfect sacrifice for sin.
His priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary sanctifies us. Now, having
entered the Most Holy Place, He stands as our Advocate in the judgment
(see 1 John 2:1). “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take
away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our
sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb.
9:28, NLT). Through His sacrifice and mediation, sin has been dealt with.
Now He comes again for those who “love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).
Read Hebrews 6:19, 20. Why does He invite us to follow Him, and what
do we discover as we follow?
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F riday May 24
(page 70 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê What emotions are stirred at the thought that Jesus is lifting
His wounded hands for us before the Father? Why is this our only
hope in the judgment?
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teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Hebrews 8:1, 2
Study Focus: Exod. 25:8, 9, 40; Heb. 8:1–6; Matt. 25:1–10; Dan.
7:9, 10; Heb. 8:1–5; Heb. 9:23–28; Rev. 11:19; Heb. 10:16; Lev. 16:21,
29–34; Lev. 23:26–32.
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Lesson Themes: The study for this week highlights two major themes:
1. The earthly sanctuary in the Old Testament was not just a part of the
culture of Israel; it principally pointed to the heavenly sanctuary and
the ministry of Jesus on behalf of humanity.
2. As such, the heavenly sanctuary is central to the universal and eternal
gospel, to the salvation of humanity, and to the mission of the church.
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event was “the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” (Dan.
9:25, NASB), which took place in 457 b.c. Thus, the prophecy of the 70
prophetic weeks is a subset, or the first part, of the 2,300-years prophecy;
the two periods constitute one great prophecy.
Here Gabriel finally answers Daniel’s question and prayer about the res-
toration and rebuilding of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25), God’s “holy mountain”
(Dan. 9:20). However, Gabriel immediately explains that this fulfillment
of Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years is only the beginning of a much longer
prophecy. That is, it is the beginning of the 70 prophetic weeks, and then
the beginning of an even longer prophecy—the 2,300 years. For this rea-
son, keeping the focus on this bigger prophecy, Gabriel further explained
to Daniel that these 70 prophetic weeks, or 490 literal years, would be
“decreed” or “determined” for “your people and your holy city” (Dan.
9:24, NASB) for a special purpose: “until Messiah the Prince” (Dan. 9:25,
NKJV).
The end, or the aim, of these 490 years was the first advent of the
Messiah. Gabriel explained that the purpose of the Messiah would be
“ ‘to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlast-
ing righteousness . . . and to anoint the Most Holy Place’ ” (Dan. 9:24,
NASB). In the seventieth prophetic week, the Messiah would “ ‘confirm
a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he
will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering’ ” (Dan. 9:27, NASB). The
only plausible fulfillment for all these events was in the sacrifice of Jesus,
the “ ‘Messiah the Prince’ ” (Dan. 9:25, NASB) and “ ‘the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV), who “ ‘will be
cut off and have nothing’ ” (Dan. 9:26, NASB).
Thus, the prophecy of the 70 weeks starts the prophecy of the 2,300
years. We can be sure that the 2,300-year prophecy about the cleansing of
the sanctuary was fulfilled in 1844 because the prophecy of the 70 weeks
(Dan. 9:24–27) was fulfilled with exactitude in the sacrificial death of
the Messiah in the middle of the seventieth week, in a.d. 31. In addition,
in the same way that the prophecy of the 70 weeks was fulfilled in the
Messiah’s sacrificial death in relation to the earthly sanctuary, the proph-
ecy of the 2,300 years would be fulfilled in the Messiah’s cleansing of the
heavenly sanctuary. Similarly, the two parts of the prophecy are related
to the two comings of the Messiah: the end of the 70-week period relates
to Christ’s first coming, while the end of the 2,300 years pertains to His
second coming.
The Loss of the Doctrine of the Sanctuary
The sanctuary is one of the most prominent themes and teachings in
Scripture. The Bible describes two sanctuaries, an earthly and a heavenly.
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110
L esson 9 *May 25–31
(page 72 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 14:6–12; Eccles. 12:13,
14; Prov. 28:9; Dan. 7:25.
Memory Text: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman,
and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep
the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”
(Revelation 12:17, NKJV).
T
hrough intensive Bible study, Adventists came to understand the
significance of the law in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly
sanctuary. Looking into the heart of God’s law, they also discov-
ered the significance of the Sabbath, the fourth commandment. In fact,
this commandment more than any other clearly identifies God as our
Creator, the foundation of all true worship—a theme that will be espe-
cially relevant in the final days of earth’s history (see Rev. 14:6–12).
Satan’s aim from the beginning has been to thwart the worship of God
through undermining the law of God. He knows that to offend “in one
point” means to be “guilty of all” (James 2:10); so, he encourages people
to transgress God’s law. Satan hates the Sabbath because it reminds people
of the Creator and how He is to be worshiped. But it also is enshrined in
God’s law in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. Because the
law is what defines sin, as long as people seek to be faithful to God, then
His law must continue to be valid, including the Sabbath commandment.
The aim of this lesson is to show the link between the sanctuary, God’s
law, the Sabbath, and the coming crisis over the mark of the beast. We
also will explore the relevance of the Sabbath to an end-time generation.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 25–27 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, June 1.
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S unday May 26
(page 73 of Standard Edition)
What are the reasons people often give to argue that we no lon-
ger are obligated to keep the Ten Commandments? What do you
think is really behind it?
113
T uesday May 28
(page 75 of Standard Edition)
Creation speaks of our value in God’s sight. We are not alone in the
universe—some speck of cosmic dust—nor are we a genetic accident. In
other words, the common scientific scenario of life’s origins, which has
been picked up by the news media and popular culture, presents a view
of our origins that is in every way incompatible with the biblical account.
We are here because Jesus created us. And He is worthy of our wor-
ship not only because He created us but also because He redeemed us.
Creation and Redemption are at the heart of all true worship. Therefore,
the Sabbath is vital to understanding the plan of salvation. The Sabbath
speaks of a Creator’s care and a Redeemer’s love.
At the conclusion of Creation week, God rested in the beauty and
majesty of the world He had made. He also rested as an example to
us. The Sabbath is a weekly pause to praise the One who made us. As
we worship on the Sabbath, we open our hearts to receive the special
blessing He placed in that day only, and in no other day.
The Sabbath points us to a Creator who loved us too much to abandon
us when we drifted from His purpose for us. The Sabbath is an eternal
symbol of our rest in Him. It is a special sign of loyalty to the Creator
(Ezek. 20:12, 20). It is a symbol of rest, not of works; of grace, not of
legalism; of assurance, not of condemnation; of depending upon God
for salvation, not on ourselves. True Sabbath rest is the rest of grace in
the loving arms of the One who created us, the One who redeemed us,
and the One who is coming again for us.
The message of Revelation 14, God’s end-time message for the
world, calls people to rest in His love and care each Sabbath. It calls us
to remember the One who created us and give Him glory. Keeping the
Sabbath also is a connecting link between the perfection of Eden and
the glory of the new heavens and the new earth to come. It reminds us
that one day the splendors of Eden will be restored.
Read Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15 and Revelation 14:7, 9–11. (See also
Rev. 15:4, Rev. 16:2, Rev. 19:20, Rev. 20:4, Rev. 22:9.) What one key
theme appears in all of these verses?
Note the contrast. Either people worship the Creator or they worship
something else. The Creator is worthy of worship (Rev. 5:9). The controversy
between Christ and Satan began in heaven over worship: “I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14, NKJV).
Satan wanted the worship belonging only to the Creator. According to
Revelation 13, he succeeds through the activity of the land beast (Rev. 13:4).
A comparison with Daniel 7 shows that this land beast is the same
as the little horn that “seeks to change times and laws” and exercises
authority for 1,260 prophetic “days,” that is, for 1,260 years (Dan. 7:25;
compare Rev. 13:5; see lesson 6). The only part of God’s law, the Ten
Commandments, dealing with time is the fourth commandment. This
church has attempted to change the day of worship from Saturday, the
seventh day, to Sunday, the first day of the week.
For an earthly power to seek to change the day of worship, the seventh-
day Sabbath, which God Himself gave as a sign of His authority (Exod.
31:13; Ezek. 20:12, 20), is an attempt to usurp divine authority at the
most basic level possible. On this point, then, is the focus of the final
conflict over true and false worship.
For this reason, Revelation identifies the people who are faithful to
God as those “who keep the commandments of God” (Rev. 12:17, Rev.
14:12). This includes the seventh-day Sabbath, not Sunday. Those who
refuse the final call of the three angels to worship God on His holy
day (Isa. 58:13) and who worship the beast on his counterfeit sabbath,
Sunday, will receive the mark of the beast (see lesson 11).
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T hursday May 30
(page 77 of Standard Edition)
God will have an end-time people who are loyal to Him in the face
of the greatest opposition and fiercest persecution in the history of
the world. Through the gift of Christ’s righteousness, they will live
grace-filled, obedient lives. Worshiping the Creator stands in direct
opposition to worshiping the beast and is expressed in keeping the
commandments of God. This final conflict over allegiance to Christ or
allegiance to the beast power centers in worship, and at the heart of this
great controversy between good and evil is the Sabbath.
These committed followers of the Savior will not only have faith “in”
Jesus but will also have the faith “of ” Jesus. The faith of Jesus is a faith
so deep, so trusting, so committed, that all the demons in hell and all
the trials on earth cannot shake it. It is a faith that trusts when it can-
not see, believes when it cannot reason why, and hopes when it cannot
understand. This “faith of Jesus” is itself a gift we receive by faith. It
will carry us through the crisis ahead. When the final crisis breaks and
we face an economic boycott, persecution, imprisonment, and death
itself, the faith of Jesus will carry us through earth’s final hours until
Jesus returns.
How is God preparing your faith today for what is coming in the
future?
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F riday May 31
(page 78 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê The world is changing so quickly, so dramatically. Why must
we always be vigilant so that last-day events don’t catch us unpre-
pared?
Ì What are ways you can witness to those who don’t grasp the
significance of the true Sabbath and sincerely keep Sunday, the
first day of the week?
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i n s i d e
Story
Running From Church: Part 2
By Andrew McChesney
After two young refugees gave their hearts to Jesus in a European city,
they began to plead with their mother to consider Jesus.
“Mother, don’t you want to be saved?” asked 20-year-old Rosen.
His mother, Aneliya, erupted like a volcano. “I will never leave my reli-
gion!” she yelled, pounding on a table. “I’ll keep my religion until I die!”
Her 22-year-old son, Sergei, spoke about how Jesus was crucified for
people’s sins and resurrected on the third day.
“It’s impossible that He was resurrected,” Aneliya said.
“If you believe in Jesus, and die, you also will be resurrected,” Sergei said.
One day, he read John 3:36 to his mother: “He who believes in the Son has
everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but
the wrath of God abides on him” (NKJV). “We die,” he said to his mother,
“but when Jesus returns, we will be raised from the graves.”
“My son, how will we be raised from the graves?” she asked.
“We will live again,” he said.
It was a big question for Aneliya. It was the biggest question on her mind.
How was it possible to be resurrected and live forever?
As she listened to her sons, Bible verses that had once confused her began
to make sense. She began to understand what Paul, the man who had first
invited the family to church, had read to them from the Bible and what she
had heard about Jesus during her first church visit. Joy filled her heart.
Aneliya later understood that the Holy Spirit had entered her heart. Soon
Aneliya acknowledged Jesus as her Savior. When she did that, a desire filled
her to spend time with Him and to attend worship services at church.
Then her 15-year-old daughter was baptized. Aneliya had skipped the
baptisms of her two sons, but she went to her daughter’s baptism. She
congratulated her afterward. “Mother, your turn is next,” her daughter said.
Sergei gave Bible studies to his mother, and she also studied the Bible on
her own. A thirst grew in her heart to live for Christ. Then the day came, when
she was 47, that she gave her heart to Jesus in baptism. “It was with great
joy,” she said in an interview. “I cannot describe my joy. It was the first time
in forty-seven years that I had such joy. I believed and accepted Jesus Christ.”
Today, Aneliya is 48 and a missionary to her people. Her husband has
accepted the Bible, and even his parents back in their native country are
keeping the Sabbath. Aneliya also gives Bible studies to her community.
“Once I had wanted to run away from church, but now a desire has filled
me to run to church,” she said. “The Holy Spirit brought me to God.”
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train people to share the good news of salvation with precious people from other world
religions. For more information, visit globalmissioncenters.org.
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teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Revelation 12:17
Study Focus: Eccles. 12:13, 14; Prov. 28:9; Dan. 7:25; Isa. 51:7,
8; Rev. 13:15–17; Rev. 12:17; Rev. 14:6–12.
Introduction: The biblical themes of the great controversy and of the heavenly
sanctuary are inseparably interwoven with the theme of God’s law and of His
Sabbath, which is included in His law. In fact, the great controversy started
with Lucifer’s erroneous accusations against God’s character, His law, and the
principles of His government. The rebel angel proposed that we are autono-
mous beings, fully capable of defining the meaning of life on our own terms
and shaping our relationships and society in the way we want. Ultimately, this
blasphemous proposition constitutes the clear desire to exclude God from our
lives, from our relationships, and even from the universe. For this reason, our
insistence upon the validity of the law of God is not a matter of legalism or sal-
vation by works but inasmuch as God’s law is the expression of His character,
the law stands at the core of the great controversy itself.
Defending God’s law is defending God’s character and His status as
Creator and rightful King of the universe, enthroned in His heavenly
sanctuary. Upholding God’s law means that we understand that God is the
only source of moral standards and of the meaning of life. Abandoning
God and His principles of life will lead to chaos and to eternal death. For
this reason, Seventh-day Adventists proclaim the following Bible truths:
• the immutability of God’s law,
• the Sabbath as the sign of God’s Creatorship and Kingship,
• the heavenly sanctuary as the seat of God’s government and of salva-
tion in the universe, and
• the Adventist movement as the remnant church, called to proclaim
God’s last invitation to humanity to return to His kingdom.
The centerpiece of the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is
the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14. These messages indicate
that the great controversy is a choice between two diametrically opposed
principles: the devil’s, which leads to perdition; and God’s, which leads
to life.
Lesson Themes: This week’s study emphasizes four major themes:
1. The law of God, which includes the Sabbath, is eternal and immutable
because it represents God’s being, character, status as Creator and
King of the universe, and His principles for life and relationships.
2. The heavenly sanctuary is the seat of God’s government and of His
salvation.
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express God’s love, will, and purposes concerning human conduct and
relationships and are binding upon all people in every age. These
precepts are the basis of God’s covenant with His people and the
standard in God’s judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit
they point out sin and awaken a sense of need for a Saviour. Salvation
is all of grace and not of works, and its fruit is obedience to the
Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and
results in a sense of well-being. It is evidence of our love for the Lord
and our concern for our fellow human beings. The obedience of faith
demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives, and therefore
strengthens Christian witness.—Fundamental Belief 19, “The Law
of God,” https://www.adventist.org/the-law-of-god.
This fundamental belief highlights at least two essential aspects of God’s law.
First, the law of God is the reflection of God’s character and of the principles
of His kingdom (see Ps. 89:14). As such, the law is located at the very heart
of the heavenly sanctuary, in the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place
(Rev. 11:19). For this reason, the law of God is eternal and applicable to
all people at all times. Because God, His nature, and His character do not
change, His law has never changed; Jesus Christ Himself declared that He
did not come to change the law but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17–19); and He never
gave any authority to anyone among His people, in any period of history, to
diminish or change His law, in whole or in part!
Second, the law of God is the reflection of God’s nature of love and righ-
teousness, which are reflected in the principles of His kingdom. According
to Paul, “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:10, NKJV). For this
reason, the law cannot be placed in opposition to the gospel or to salvation.
The law is not, was not, nor ever will be the enemy. Our enemies are sin
and the devil. The law of God is “holy, and the commandment is holy and
righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12, NASB). Salvation is by God’s grace and
is accepted by, and appropriated through, faith. However, salvation is the
work of the Holy Spirit, who aims to restore us to our original status as the
children of God, who perfectly reflect His love and righteousness.
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3. Compare the ceremonial with the moral law. What is similar, and
what is different about them? What does each of these laws reveal
about God? How do each of these laws relate to Jesus Christ?
123
L esson 10 *June 1–7
(page 80 of Standard Edition)
Spiritualism Exposed
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 10:28; Eccles. 9:5; Isa.
8:19, 20; John 11:11–14, 21–25; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Rev. 16:13, 14; Matt.
24:23–27; 2 Thess. 2:9–12.
Memory Text: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians
4:16, 17, NKJV).
D
ecades ago, stories surfaced about near death experiences (NDEs),
in which people who died and were then revived gave incredible
accounts of what they had seen and heard while “dead.” Millions
now believe that these accounts are evidence that the dead are not really
dead. This foundational belief of spiritualism is one of Satan’s most wide-
spread and effective deceptions.
In fact, spiritualism began back in Eden with the serpent’s lie to Eve,
“You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4, NKJV). This idea also lay at the root
of one of the greatest spurious religious movements of the nineteenth
century with the Fox sisters’ claim, later admitted to be fraudulent, that
they could receive answers to their questions from spirits of the dead.
The aim of this lesson is to show that our only safeguard against Satan’s
last-day delusions is a personal relationship with Christ and a solid ground-
ing in the teachings of the Bible. This includes its teaching about death,
regardless of what our eyes and ears and hearts might try to tell us.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 31–34 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, June 8.
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S unday June 2
(page 81 of Standard Edition)
“ ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell’ ” (Matt. 10:28, NKJV).
What should this verse alone tell us about the supposed immortality
of the soul?
Read Ecclesiastes 9:5; Job 7:7–9; and Isaiah 8:19, 20. What do these Bible
passages teach us about death and communication with the dead?
What has been your experience with trying to explain the state of
the dead to other Christians? What, if anything, have you found
effective?
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M onday June 3
(page 82 of Standard Edition)
The Old Testament does not teach the immortality of the soul. Nor
does it teach that after death the faithful soar off to the bliss of heaven for
eternity and the unfaithful descend to hell, where they burn for eternity. It
teaches that death is a sleep. The book of Kings uses the expression “they
rested [slept] with their fathers” to describe the death of the patriarchs. The
Psalms call it the “sleep of death” (Ps. 13:3; compare Ps. 90:5). Referring
to death, Job speaks of not awaking from sleep (Job 14:12). The psalmist
adds, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied
when I awake in Your likeness” (Ps. 17:15, NKJV).
When the Assyrian army was defeated and destroyed, the death of
the soldiers is called their “final sleep” (Ps. 76:6, CJB). The idea of the
dead as disembodied spirits hovering around to communicate with the
living is not a biblical concept at all but pure paganism.
A failure to understand the truth about death leaves us open to the decep-
tions of Satan. “Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating
beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These
visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies and will work miracles to
sustain their pretensions. We must be prepared to withstand them with the
Bible truth that the dead know not anything and that they who thus appear
are the spirits of devils.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 560.
Read Daniel 12:2 and Job 19:25, 26. What elements about the state of
the dead are added by these verses?
Both the Old and New Testaments use the symbolism of death as a
sleep. At least 53 times in the Bible, the word “sleep” is equated with
death. The Bible writers concur that there is no conscious existence in
an immortal soul that leaves the body immediately after death.
The New Testament adds another dimension, one already hinted at
in the Old: the glorious resurrection at Christ’s return.
The Gospels emphasize that eternal life is in Christ alone. All the
demons in hell cannot rob believers of their assurance of eternal life.
Christ conquered death on the cross. The grave can no longer hold its
victims. Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee that all believers will
one day be resurrected from the grave at His return.
Look at these words of Paul: “For if the dead do not rise, then
Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you
are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ
have perished” (1 Cor. 15:16–18, NKJV). How does one make any
sense of these verses if the dead, at death, already are in the bliss of
heaven? What does Paul mean that they “have perished” if, in fact,
they already are in heaven?
Instead, Paul’s whole point is that Christ’s resurrection is the foun-
dation of our resurrection and that without the Resurrection, “your
faith is futile; you are still in your sins,” and the dead remain in the
ground, perished.
These verses fit in perfectly with other Bible texts about the hope
we have in the resurrection at Jesus’ return when we will receive
the “inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade
away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4, NKJV). If, however,
the dead already are in heaven, why does Peter speak of an inheri-
tance “reserved in heaven” for us? Clearly, New Testament believers
eagerly looked forward to the coming of Christ and the resurrection
of the dead, and this hope inspired them to faithfulness in the trials
of life.
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W ednesday June 5
(page 84 of Standard Edition)
The devil will use “signs and wonders” and spectacular miracles to
deceive multitudes just before the coming of Jesus. Commenting on
the deceptive power of demonic spirits, Ángel Rodríguez makes this
telling statement: “Their power of persuasion is to be found not in the
content of their message but in the power of supernatural manifesta-
tions called ‘signs’ or ‘miracles.’ They perform/do (poieō) signs, thus
appealing to the affective side of human beings rather than to their
discretionary and rational abilities. The fact that these signs are per-
formed by demons shows that the unifying force of the message of
the three demons [dragon, beast, and false prophet] is spiritualistic
in nature—God is not their source or origin. As the cosmic conflict
approaches its closure, demonic power will enter the arena of human
history in an unprecedented way. Spiritualism, whose very foundation
is the non-biblical teaching of the immortality of the soul, will nearly
take the world captive.”—“The Closing of the Cosmic Conflict: Role of
the Three Angels’ Messages,” unpublished manuscript, p. 6.
Why is it dangerous to trust our emotions? What roles do they play, good
and bad, in our faith experience? How might Satan bypass our think-
ing processes and appeal to our feelings?
“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the
world. . . . Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece
of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached
the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last
remnant of time. . . . Except those who are kept by the power of God,
through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks
of this delusion. The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to
be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, pp. 561, 562.
Our sole security is in Jesus and His Word. It’s not hard to see how
millions, even billions, who do not understand the state of the dead
could be swept away by delusions involving the idea that the dead live
on after death.
Even now, what are some common deceptions that those who
understand that the dead sleep are protected from?
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T hursday June 6
(page 85 of Standard Edition)
In the last moments of time, Satan will enact his final deception: “Fearful
sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in
token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will
go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in
deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against
the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be
alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and
claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s Redeemer. They
will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revela-
tions from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
“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.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, p. 624 (emphasis supplied).
129
F riday June 7
(page 86 of Standard Edition)
Further Thought: A recent book by Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven,
is premised on the idea that, at death, the dead remain alive in some kind of
conscious existence, with “near death experiences” (NDEs) being used as
part of the “proof.” One example: “Another girl, who had an NDE during
heart surgery, said she met her brother in the afterlife—which surprised
her because she didn’t have a brother. When she later recovered and told
her father, he revealed to her for the first time that she did, indeed, have
a brother, but he had died before she was born.”—Lee Strobel, The Case
for Heaven (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Books, 2021), p. 69. Strobel
struggles, however, to harmonize the idea of an immediate afterlife with the
clear biblical teaching that only when Christ returns do Christians receive
their final reward.
We have been warned: “Many will be confronted by the spirits of
devils personating beloved relatives or friends and declaring the most
dangerous heresies. These visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympa-
thies and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We must be
prepared to withstand them with the Bible truth that the dead know not
anything and that they who thus appear are the spirits of devils.
“Just before us is ‘the hour of temptation, which shall come upon
all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.’ Revelation 3:10.
All whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of God will
be deceived and overcome. Satan ‘works with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness’ to gain control of the children of men, and his decep-
tions will continually increase. But he can gain his object only as men
voluntarily yield to his temptations. Those who are earnestly seeking
a knowledge of the truth and are striving to purify their souls through
obedience, thus doing what they can to prepare for the conflict, will
find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. ‘Because thou hast kept the
word of My patience, I also will keep thee’ (verse 10), is the Saviour’s
promise. He would sooner send every angel out of heaven to protect
His people than leave one soul that trusts in Him to be overcome by
Satan.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 560.
Discussion Questions:
Ê What subtle spiritualistic influences might Satan be using to
influence the mind? What role does mass media play?
Ë How would you share your faith with a friend who just lost a
loved one and believed that this person was in heaven? What is
appropriate to say, and what is not appropriate?
130
i n s i d e
Story
Unreached Town in Nigeria
By Andrew McChesney
The Nigerian town of Umuacha is located at a strategic crossroads. The
town boasts a big market that attracts daily crowds from neighboring towns.
But it lacked a Seventh-day Adventist church.
The absence of an Adventist church was astonishing because Adventist
churches had been established more than 70 years earlier in all of the sur-
rounding towns. Even the headquarters of the Adventist Church’s Aba North
Conference was located nearby. But Umuacha had no church.
Why?
The first church opened in Umuacha more than 80 years earlier, and
it resolved to be the only church in town. As the years passed, however,
townspeople sold their land to outsiders who, in turn, constructed their own
churches. The oldest church accepted the newcomers, but all declared that
Adventists, who worshiped on a different day, would never be welcome.
Adventist churches in the neighboring towns struggled to reach Umuacha.
When they sought to organize evangelistic meetings, no one would give
them a meeting place. Hopes were raised when the church in nearby Mba
conducted a two-week evangelistic meeting outside the town and afterward
opened a branch Sabbath School. But the Sabbath School closed after only
three months. Later, Mba young people held Bible studies that brought
several Umuacha families to the Mba church on Sabbaths. But the families
stopped attending when their neighbors threw stones at them.
In 2021, the Aba North Conference laid new plans for evangelistic meet-
ings in Umuacha but again struggled to find a site. One landowner agreed to
host tent meetings but then abruptly changed his mind. Additional attempts
provided unsuccessful that year and in 2022. It seemed hopeless.
Then a church member, Christian, made a new attempt to find a site.
While searching, he met Chilaka, the owner of a school.
“You who are running around, what are you looking for?” the school
owner asked.
“It seems that I am looking for you,” Christian replied.
After a discussion, the school owner offered the property for the meet-
ings. Christian gratefully accepted.
For a month, Adventist preachers proclaimed the Word of God in
Umuacha. They were joined by a medical team that cared for the sick. In
the end, 29 precious souls were baptized. Then someone donated land, and
an Adventist church opened in Umuacha.
“Today, the church is progressing to the glory of God,” said Caleb
Uchenna Onyendi, evangelism director for the Aba North Conference.
God’s timing is perfect, he added, pointing to Exodus 9:5, which says, “Then
the Lord appointed a set time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing
in the land’ ” (NKJV). The Lord did just that in the town of Umuacha.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 131
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17
Study Focus: Matt. 10:28; Eccles. 9:5; Isa. 8:19, 20; John 11:21–
25; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Matt. 24:23–27; Rev. 16:13, 14; 2 Thess. 2:9–12.
134
teachers comments
committed to Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we are set free from
the burden of our past deeds. No longer do we live in the dark-
ness, fear of evil powers, ignorance, and meaninglessness of our
former way of life. In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called
to grow into the likeness of His character, communing with Him
daily in prayer, feeding on His Word, meditating on it and on
His providence, singing His praises, gathering together for wor-
ship, and participating in the mission of the Church. We are also
called to follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering
to the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of
humanity. As we give ourselves in loving service to those around
us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with
us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task
into a spiritual experience.”—Fundamental Belief Number 11,
“Growing in Christ,” https://www.adventist.org/growing-in-christ.
Initially, this fundamental belief was necessitated by the situation in some
parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa, in which Christians, in general,
and even some Adventists, were not clear that Scripture rejects all occult
practices. In addition, even if Adventists in those areas did understand
that the Bible opposes all spiritualistic practices, they were hesitant to
break free of those practices and teachings because they were afraid of the
retaliation of the spirits. Moreover, spiritualism, spiritism, and occultism
are all pervasive realities, not only in Africa and Asia but throughout the
world. Thus, fundamental belief 11 is for all people. Regardless of our
cultural and social backgrounds, all people need the same message of the
gospel: “ ‘My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one
will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s
hand’ ” (John 10:27–29, NASB).
136
L esson 11 *June 8–14
(page 88 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 14:7, 9, 12; Rev. 4:11; Rev.
13:1, 2; Rev. 12:3–5, 17; Rev. 13:11–18.
T
here is a relatively new medical device called a biochip or
VeriChip, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be implanted
in a patient. The biochip contains information about the patient’s
medical history, which can then be obtained by passing an exter-
nal scanner across the area where the biochip or VeriChip has been
inserted. Some Christians see this as part of a conspiracy to enforce the
mark of the beast. For others, the mark of the beast has to do with the
bar codes on cans of food, or it is a mysterious number on dollar bills
that supposedly adds up to 666. For some it has to do with the Masonic
order, the Illuminati, black U.N. helicopters, or the United Nations.
The aim of this week’s lesson is to reveal the coming conflict over
worship. Satan will challenge God’s authority by attempting to under-
mine God’s law. Specifically, the Sabbath will become the center of a
global conflict over worship. Satan hates the Sabbath because he hates
the Creator. He will use coercion, pressure, and force to break our com-
mitment to Christ. There will be a collision of beliefs over the true and
false day of worship. God’s final appeal is an appeal to faithfulness to
Christ despite persecution, an economic boycott, imprisonment, and a
death decree. This week’s study emphasizes Jesus’ strength to take us
through earth’s final conflict.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 35 and 36 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, June 15.
137
S unday June 9
(page 89 of Standard Edition)
Read Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12. How does worshiping the
Creator find its final expression?
138
M onday June 10
(page 90 of Standard Edition)
Read John 16:2, Matthew 10:22, 2 Timothy 3:12, and 1 Peter 4:12.
What did the New Testament church experience, and how does that
apply to Christ’s end-time church?
139
T uesday June 11
(page 91 of Standard Edition)
Read Revelation 13:1, 6. What key word is used to identify the beast
power?
The Bible defines blasphemy in John 10:33 and Luke 5:21 with two
examples: (1) a man pretending to be or claiming to be God, and (2)
a man claiming the power to forgive sins. These accusations against
Jesus were unjust because He is truly God and, therefore, has the right
to forgive sins. The Roman Papacy has two distinctive doctrines that
the Bible calls blasphemy: its claims that its priests have the power to
forgive sins and that the pope has the prerogatives of God on earth.
140
W ednesday June 12
(page 92 of Standard Edition)
Recall from lesson 4 that God gives us a key for understanding pro-
phetic time—one prophetic day equals one literal year (Num. 14:34,
Ezek. 4:6). Calculating the time period of 42 months mentioned in
Revelation 13:5 using the 30-day Hebrew month equals 1,260 pro-
phetic days or literal years.
The Papacy exercised great influence from a.d. 538 to a.d. 1798. But
when Berthier, Napoleon’s general, took the pope captive in a.d. 1798,
the prophetic period of papal supremacy ended, and Revelation’s proph-
ecy was fulfilled: “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity”
(Rev. 13:10, NKJV). The blow to the Papacy was extremely serious but
not fatal. According to Revelation 13:12, the deadly wound would be
healed. The Papacy’s influence once again would be felt worldwide.
Today, world leaders welcome the pontiff as an ambassador of the church
of Rome and visit him regularly at the Vatican. In a world of unprecedented
instability, the scene is being set for the Roman pontiff to become the
acclaimed moral leader of the world who can bring people together. During
his speech on June 6, 2012, to more than 15,000 people gathered in Saint
Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI declared, “Sunday is the day
of the Lord and of men and women, a day in which everyone must be able
to be free, free for the family and free for God. In defending Sunday we
defend human freedom.”—https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi
/en/audiences/2012/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20120 606.html (accessed
October 10, 2022). The Great Controversy clearly reveals where this move-
ment will one day ultimately lead: “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. . . . They will be accused of
disaffection toward the government. Ministers who deny the obligation of
the divine law will present from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience
to the civil authorities as ordained of God. In legislative halls and courts of
justice, commandment keepers will be misrepresented and condemned.”
—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 592.
The first beast rose out of the sea; the second beast comes “up out of
the earth” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). The sea represents “peoples, multitudes,
nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:15, NKJV). The earth, then, represents
a sparsely populated area of the world. This second beast arises near
the close of the prophetic period during which the first beast exercises
authority (Rev. 13:5). That is, it rises to prominence around a.d. 1798.
The United States precisely fits this description. It declared its inde-
pendence in a.d. 1776, adopted its constitution in a.d. 1789, and was
recognized as a world power by the late nineteenth century.
John continues, “He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a
dragon” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). Horns in Bible prophecy symbolize
power. Unlike the first beast, this beast has no crowns on its horns, sug-
gesting it is not a monarchy. The two horns represent the two primary
governing principles that are the source of the United States’ power and
success—political and religious liberty.
Read Revelation 13:11, 12. What change do you see in this beast, and
how does it speak?
“God never forces the will or the conscience; but Satan’s constant
resort—to gain control of those whom he cannot otherwise seduce—is
compulsion by cruelty. Through fear or force he endeavors to rule the
conscience and to secure homage to himself. To accomplish this, he
works through both religious and secular authorities, moving them to the
enforcement of human laws in defiance of the law of God.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, p. 591.
“In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the
will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they
have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes,
and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified
the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great
conflict.”—The Great Controversy, p. 593.
“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, p. 595.
Discussion Questions:
Ê How can we live in the expectation of the coming of Christ and
share that hope without becoming alarmists?
Ì How can we help ourselves and others face the future with
confidence and not with fear?
143
i n s i d e
Story
No to Pork, Yes to Sabbath
By Andrew McChesney
Sara thought about the Seventh-day Adventist Church as she helped her
mother sell pork and beer in Mozambique in southeast Africa.
Why do Adventists go to church on Saturday? she wondered.
As a small girl, Sara had gone to the Adventist Church several times with
her big brother, who was an Adventist. But then he had moved to another
town, and she had gone back to the church of her mother.
As she worked with her mother, memories about the Adventist Church
returned. She thought about Adventist neighbors who had moved next door.
Sara decided to ask them why they went to church on Saturday.
The neighbors welcomed Sara’s question, and they opened the Bible to
the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8–10. Sara read, “Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall
do no work” (NKJV). She also read other verses about the holiness of the
seventh-day Sabbath. She saw that Jesus worshiped on the seventh day when
He lived on earth. She decided to keep the seventh-day Sabbath.
Mother was furious when Sara told her that she would no longer sell
pork and beer on Saturdays. She forbade Sara from going to the Adventist
Church. Sara went anyway. She wanted to honor her mother as God com-
mands in the fifth commandment (Exod. 20:12). But she also realized that
it was more important “to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Tensions escalated further when Sara stopped selling pork and beer
altogether. She explained to Mother that God does not condone the eating
of unclean meat, such as pork (Lev. 11:7), or the drinking of alcohol (Prov.
20:1). Furthermore, she said, the Bible teaches that “whether you eat or
drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), and
selling products unapproved by God would not glorify Him.
Mother threw Sara out of the house. With nowhere to go, Sara left town
and moved in with her Adventist brother and his wife and their sons. Her
heart was heavy. Is this the cost of following Jesus? she wondered.
Sara’s brother presented her case to leaders at his church. Through their
efforts, an Adventist pastor met with Mother. She listened carefully to what
he said. She didn’t agree with him on everything. But her face softened as
they spoke. She said Sara could return home.
Today, Mother still does not share Sara’s convictions. Sara is praying for
the Holy Spirit to touch her heart. She knows that the God who gave her a
fuller understanding of His love can do the same for her mother.
Thank you for your Sabbath School mission offerings that help spread the good news of
Jesus’ soon coming in Africa and around the world.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
144 mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: John 17:17
Study Focus: John 17:17; Rev. 14:6, 7, 12; Rev. 4:11; Rev. 12:3,
4, 17; Rev. 13:1–17.
2. God will emerge victorious. He calls His people to partake in His vic-
tory over evil and over the devil by proclaiming His eternal gospel.
146
146
teachers comments
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teachers comments
concerned that Adventists would fall into the trap of thinking that the Roman
Catholic Church has now changed and is no longer the tyrannical beast from
the sea, thus necessitating the search for another candidate for this post. The
following quotations from her monumental book The Great Controversy are
remarkable and clearly militate against such a course of action:
“Romanism is now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in
former years. In those countries where Catholicism is not in the ascendancy,
and the papists are taking a conciliatory course in order to gain influence,
there is an increasing indifference concerning the doctrines that separate the
reformed churches from the papal hierarchy; the opinion is gaining ground
that, after all, we do not differ so widely upon vital points as has been sup-
posed, and that a little concession on our part will bring us into a better
understanding with Rome. . . .
“The defenders of the papacy declare that the church has been maligned,
and the Protestant world are inclined to accept the statement. Many urge
that it is unjust to judge the church of today by the abominations and absur-
dities that marked her reign during the centuries of ignorance and dark-
ness. They excuse her horrible cruelty as the result of the barbarism of the
times and plead that the influence of modern civilization has changed her
sentiments.”—Page 563.
“But Romanism as a system is no more in harmony with the gospel of
Christ now than at any former period in her history. The Protestant churches
are in great darkness, or they would discern the signs of the times. The
Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She
is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power
in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the
world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has
done. Catholicism is gaining ground upon every side. See the increasing
number of her churches and chapels in Protestant countries. Look at the
popularity of her colleges and seminaries in America, so widely patronized
by Protestants. Look at the growth of ritualism in England and the frequent
defections to the ranks of the Catholics. These things should awaken the
anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel.”—Pages 565, 566.
“The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering
with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in
Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of the papacy
that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest
ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants
are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of
the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to
expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption
that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God.
Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out
human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High. . . .
148
teachers comments
“It is not without reason that the claim has been put forth in Protestant
countries that Catholicism differs less widely from Protestantism than
in former times. There has been a change; but the change is not in the
papacy. Catholicism indeed resembles much of the Protestantism that
now exists, because Protestantism has so greatly degenerated since the
days of the Reformers.”—Page 571.
1. Maybe you live in a place far from the influence of the Roman
Catholic Church or from an American presence or impact. How
would you, then, best explain to your friends the prophecies
about the beast from the sea and the beast from the land?
149
L esson 12 *June 15–21
(page 96 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: John 8:32; Ezek. 20:12, 20;
Rev. 7:1, 2; Rev. 14:1; Joel 2:21–24; Hos. 6:3; James 5:7, 8; Rev. 18:1–4.
Memory Text: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and
instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23, NKJV).
S
uppose you had a daughter driving home from college for summer
vacation. As you wait for her to arrive, you anxiously monitor the
weather reports. You become worried as the weather rapidly deterio-
rates. Storm clouds loom on the horizon. Winds blow fiercely. The heavens
open and rain pours down. Trees are blown over. Soon the main road home
is impassable. Then you hear from one of your neighbors that it is possible
to get through on a secondary road. Cars can navigate around some downed
tree limbs. Although communication is difficult, you are able to get a text
message to your daughter, carefully detailing how she can get home safely.
More than anything else, Jesus wants to take us through the storms
of life and get us home. Ellen G. White writes, “A storm is coming,
relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it?”— Testimonies for the
Church, vol, 8, p. 315. The purpose of Christ’s life, death, resurrection,
and ministry in heaven’s sanctuary is to ensure that we get home. The
prophetic messages of Daniel and Revelation are divine instructions,
especially for an end-time people, to help us through life’s storms so
that one day we can feel the warm embrace of a loving Savior.
The aim of this week’s lesson is to reveal what the prophetic Word
says about the closing events and discover anew Christ’s strength to
take us through earth’s final conflict and get us home.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 37 and 38 of The Great Controversy,
to prepare for Sabbath, June 22.
150
S unday June 16
(page 97 of Standard Edition)
Throughout the ages, the great controversy has been a battle between
truth and error. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Jesus
is the author of all truth. He declared, “ ‘I am the way, the truth, and the
life’ ” (John 14:6). The truth that sets us free from Satan’s deceptions is
found in God’s Word. The Bible unmasks Satan’s strategy and reveals
God’s plans. Scripture is a lamp to our feet (Ps. 119:105). The psalmist
declares, “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding
to the simple” (Ps. 119:130, NKJV). He then adds, “The entirety of Your
word is truth” (Ps. 119:160, NKJV).
Read 2 Peter 1:16–21. What assurance does the apostle give us regard-
ing prophecy? What illustration does he use to show the impor-
tance of God’s prophetic Word?
151
M onday June 17
(page 98 of Standard Edition)
Whom Do We Worship?
In the last days, the great controversy will be played out, in a dramatic
way, over worship. Do we worship the Creator, or do we worship the beast
and its image? There is no middle ground. The first angel of Revelation
14 urges men and women to “ ‘worship Him who made heaven and earth,
the sea and springs of water’ ” (Rev. 14:7, NKJV). In further support of
heaven’s appeal, the third angel reveals the dire consequences of worship-
ing the beast: “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which
is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation” (Rev. 14:10).
By contrast, those who worship the Creator are described as keeping “the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12, NKJV).
Creation is the basis of true worship (Rev. 4:11). Since God “cre-
ated all things through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:9, NKJV), Satan hates
the Creator and has attempted, through earthly powers, to change the
Sabbath, the memorial of Creation (Dan. 7:25). The coming conflict
over the law of God focuses on authority. If Satan can eradicate Sabbath
worship, he will declare that his authority is greater than God’s author-
ity. To accomplish this, Satan will attempt to convince or coerce the
entire world to accept a counterfeit Sabbath.
However hard it may be now to see this happening, as we have
noted before, the world is changing dramatically. The COVID-19 crisis
showed us that, overnight, our world can become a different place.
Though we don’t know the details that lead to the mark of the beast,
it’s not terribly hard to imagine. The world is very unstable, and with
the amazing technology out there now, what the Bible warns about can,
indeed, come to pass more quickly than we might now imagine.
153
W ednesday June 19
(page 100 of Standard Edition)
Read Zechariah 4:6; Zechariah 10:1; Hosea 6:3; and James 5:7, 8.
According to these verses, how will the work of God on earth be
finished?
The terms “early” and “latter” rain are taken from Israel’s harvest
cycle. The early rain fell in the fall of the year to germinate the seed.
The latter rain fell in the spring to ripen the harvest. This describes
the work of the Holy Spirit for the proclamation of the gospel. “As
the ‘former rain’ was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the
opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed,
so the ‘latter rain’ will be given at its close for the ripening of the har-
vest. ”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 611, 612.
154
T hursday June 20
(page 101 of Standard Edition)
The angel announcing the fall of Babylon has “great authority.” Like
the angels of Revelation 14, this angel represents human messengers.
This angel reveals the glory of God so fully that it illuminates the entire
earth. The Greek word for authority or power in the New Testament
is exousia. It often refers to Christ’s triumph over the principalities
and powers of hell. Jesus uses this word in the gospel of Matthew in
harmony with the sending out of His disciples. In Matthew 10:1, Jesus
gives His disciples authority over the principalities and powers of hell.
He sends them out with the divine power to be victorious in the battle
between good and evil. In Matthew 28, He once again sends them out
with “ ‘all authority . . . in heaven and on earth’ ” to “ ‘go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations’ ” (Matt. 28:18, 19, NKJV).
Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, going forth with the author-
ity of the living Christ who in His life and death triumphed over the
principalities and powers of hell, the New Testament church lightened
the earth with the glory of God. In a few short years, the disciples pro-
claimed the gospel to the then-known world (Col. 1:23).
At the end time, the Holy Spirit will be poured out in unprecedented
power, and the gospel will be spread rapidly to the ends of the earth.
Thousands will be converted in a day, and God’s grace and truth will
impact the entire planet. In this way, the world will be warned and the
gospel, and the hope it offers, will be spread worldwide.
“The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation
of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which
were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the
gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. . . .
“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy
consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message
from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning
will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and
signs and wonders will follow the believers.”—Ellen G. White, The
Great Controversy, pp. 611, 612.
155
F riday June 21
(page 102 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê Why is an understanding of last-day events so important in the
coming crisis? How are the Scriptures a safeguard from decep-
tion?
Í How does the second angel’s message change under the loud
cry, and what personal preparation can we make for receiving the
latter rain to finish God’s work on earth?
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i n s i d e
Story
Reaching Russian Speakers
By Andrew McChesney
Ukrainian national Vadym Krynychnny moved to Portugal to install air
conditioners. Two decades later, he was ministering to the needs of Ukrainian
refugees as the pastor of a Russian-speaking church in Spain.
What happened?
“We started with just a few members, but our church has become a center of
influence for many,” said Vadym, 44. “This is a blessing from God.”
After leaving Ukraine, Vadym and his wife, Alina, established a successful
air-conditioning business in Portugal and obtained Portuguese citizenship.
But 12 years into their new life, their path changed abruptly when they were
asked to help a newly arrived family who didn’t speak Portuguese. Vadym and
Alina invited the Russian-speaking family to attend church with them, and the
family also accepted an offer to study the Bible together. Three months later,
the family gave their hearts to Jesus in baptism.
Vadym and Alina were delighted, and they sought out more Russian
speakers to help. In 18 months, they formed a house church of 20 people.
Vadym preached every Sabbath, and Alina oversaw the music. “On Saturday
evenings, we were exhausted from the day’s activities,” Vadym said. “But we
were filled with an inexpressible satisfaction, joy, and happiness.”
The couple sensed that God was calling them to a new purpose. Their
sole desire was to win souls for God’s kingdom. Closing their business, they
moved to Sagunto Adventist College in neighboring Spain. Vadym graduated
four years later with a master’s degree in theology.
Vadym formed a group of 20 Russian speakers that met every Sabbath
afternoon for Bible studies while he worked as an intern pastor in Valencia, a
city near the college. Visitors to the group were invited to church. Before long,
about 10 visitors were attending church services regularly, and the Sabbath
afternoon group kept growing. “We noticed that people had a need to gather
with their own language group,” Vadym said.
When the number of Russian-speaking church members reached 26,
a Russian-speaking church was born in Valencia with the support of the
Adventist Church in Spain and the Inter-European Division, whose territory
includes Spain.
“Our idea was to serve all Russian-speaking people,
no matter whether or not they are Russian citizens,
and to bring them to Jesus,” Vadym said. “God has
abundantly blessed us in our mission.”
Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering next Sabbath will help
spread the gospel in the Euro-Asia Division, the home of
many Russian speakers. Thank you for planning a generous
offering. This mission story will conclude next week.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org. 157
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Proverbs 23:23
Study Focus: Rev. 7:1, 2; Rev. 14:1; Prov. 23:23; Isa. 8:20; Ezek.
20:12, 20; Hos. 6:3; Joel 2:21–24; James 5:7, 8; Rev. 18:1–4.
Introduction: God’s people, engaged in the final conflict between Christ and
Satan, are not left in the dark about final events, nor are they abandoned by God
during their fulfillment. Like a trusted general who inspires His troops for the
decisive fight, God prepares us for battle by giving us His prophetic Word to
serve as inspiration, orientation, and empowerment.
This week, we focus on several key elements of the end-time prepara-
tion of God’s people. First, we are reminded that the Word of God is our
only trustworthy guide; it is the source of all truth and power. We will be
safe only as we remain faithful to this Word. Thus, we must adhere to the
Bible’s counsel and wisdom, regardless of appearances to the contrary
in the arena of world events. Second, Sabbath keeping is the sign of our
commitment and loyalty to our Creator and Savior. Third, we are not, and
never will be, alone in our involvement in the great controversy and in
the accomplishment of God’s mission of proclaiming His eternal gospel.
Rather, the Holy Spirit Himself will empower God’s people in a special
way to publicly witness to the end-time world about the power of the gos-
pel and about God’s call to all people to return to Him, abandoning the
devil and his positions. These developments are known as the latter rain,
or God’s empowerment of His people, and the loud cry, which constitutes
the final public proclamation of the gospel.
Lesson Themes: This week’s study focuses on two major themes:
1. Accepting God’s love and salvation in Jesus Christ will generate in us
an unwavering love for Him and a resolution to be faithful to Him, to
His Word, and to His Sabbath.
2. The Holy Spirit will empower us with the outpouring of the latter rain.
This outpouring will enable us to give the “loud cry,” or the final call
to the world to repent and be saved.
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teachers comments
in the Soviet army. With other conscripts, he boarded a train and, seven
days later, found himself 1,865 miles (3,000 kilometers) away from home.
Thus, his long, two-year military term started. Apart from feeling lonely
and homesick, Ian knew his biggest challenge was yet ahead. Even before
being drafted, he had decided in his heart that he would remain loyal to
God and keep the Sabbath, irrespective of what might happen to him. The
first couple of Sabbaths he explained to his immediate superiors that he
could not work on the Sabbath because of his religious convictions. The
commanders tolerated him for those first few Saturdays, thinking that he
would soon give up his strange, “provincial,” and “primitive” customs.
Soon, however, Ian’s commanders realized the young man was seri-
ous, and they took decisive disciplinary and “educational” measures. One
Friday afternoon, after an exhausting workday, they told Ian he did not
deserve to sleep on a comfortable bed on the weekend if he refused to
work Sabbaths. Instead, they informed him he would spend the weekend
in the temporary detention center. When Ian and his commanders reached
the jail, the officers discovered the jail was locked and the warden had
gone somewhere else. As they waited for the warden to return, the officers
chatted while Ian watched the sun set on the beautiful Lake Balkhash.
Silently, Ian sought reassurance and support from God. Suddenly, a ser-
geant who was passing by stopped and casually asked Ian’s superiors who
they brought to jail.
“A Sabbath keeper,” they replied. “We want to re-educate him to obey
orders and to work on Saturdays.”
“Never!” exclaimed the sergeant, “I know these people. They would
rather die than work on Sabbaths!”
The officers realized they made a mistake by allowing the sergeant to
speak in Ian’s hearing. But it was too late. Ian received his much-needed
dose of encouragement.
The warden arrived, and just as the Sabbath commenced, he escorted
Ian into the jail: a 6.5x10-foot (2x3-meter) room, packed with more than
ten other soldiers, most of whom were smoking. The heavy metal door
closed, and Ian occupied the only available spot by the entrance, prepared
to stand or sit the rest of the weekend. The young soldier of Christ was
determined to remain faithful to God’s Sabbath. Minutes became hours,
and by midnight, Ian began to imagine how the brethren back in his home-
town were happily walking to church to worship God during vespers while
he remained locked up in a dark jail cell, filled with cigarette smoke, with
two more days to go.
Suddenly, Ian remembered the last sermon he heard in his church
before leaving for military service; it was about the story of Elijah on
Mount Carmel and how he prayed seven times for rain. What if I also pray
seven times? thought Ian to himself. Though it seemed almost a presumption,
159 159
teachers comments
Ian decided to give it a try. He uttered the first simple prayer in his heart.
Nothing happened. His second prayer followed. Still, no “cloud.” Third
prayer. Then fourth. Fifth. And sixth. Then finally, he uttered in his heart
the seventh prayer. Total midnight silence reigned after he finished. The
silence did nothing to change Ian’s resolve or faith. He was ready to be
loyal to God, even if God would not answer his seven prayers in any appar-
ent way. At least, he thought to himself, I tried, right?
However, just a minute later, the silence was broken by footsteps out-
side the jail. The steps were followed by clinking keys, then by the squeak-
ing of the door as it was opened. The warden appeared in the doorway and
searched the room with his flashlight. When the warden spotted Ian, he
commanded him to step outside. Once outside, the supervisor took Ian to
his office, improvised a simple but comfortable bed, and invited the youth
to sleep. Ian collapsed and was asleep in a moment. In the morning, Ian
awoke to another surprise: the supervisor brought him breakfast. Even
more, the warden gave Ian a bundle with food and conducted him to the
shore of the lake where he set him free to enjoy the Sabbath in nature.
Ian spent the following several Sabbaths in the same way. The officers
would bring him to the jail for the weekends. The warden would free Ian
and feed him for the rest of the weekend. Then on Monday morning, Ian
would return to his barracks. The following months and years were replete
with many other similar experiences of God’s miraculous interventions
on his behalf. After two years, Ian returned home a mature, strong young
man, faithful to God. Yes, he went against the behemoth of the Soviet
army, which had sought to crush his faith. Yes, his officers had told him
he was not worthy to sleep on the army’s mattresses, but God had the
last word. God cares for His faithful people, who make the decision—as
Daniel did in the Bible and as Ian did—to remain loyal to Him.
Christian Loyalty
Loyalty has always fascinated the students of human nature and history.
As a behavioral attitude, loyalty has its basis in various things. Some of
these bases are biological or predetermined, such as one’s family or the
place of one’s birth. Personal decisions form another basis for loyalty.
These decisions may be related to various things, such as monetary bene
fits (payment, rewards), convictions or worldviews, and morality. Some
people base their loyalty on duty, others on preference, and still others on
utility. The objects of loyalty are related to these bases. People show their
devotion to their families, tribes, nations, religions, ideologies, philoso-
phies, nature, and businesses, to name just a few allegiances. But what is
Christian loyalty? Why are Christians loyal, and to whom are they loyal?
To help answer these questions, let us consider the story of Job. In con-
versations with Satan, God highlights Job’s blamelessness, uprightness,
and loyalty or fear of God (Job 1:8). True to his doubtful, deceitful, and
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teachers comments
rebellious nature, Satan raised one of his essential questions: “ ‘Does Job
fear God for nothing?’ ” (Job 1:9, NASB). Satan then claimed that the basis
for human loyalty to God was selfish: “ ‘Have You not made a fence around
him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the
work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But reach
out with Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will certainly curse
You to Your face’ ” (Job 1:10, 11, NASB). Before he was cast out of heaven,
Satan accused God of falsely, abusively, and selfishly imposing Himself on
the affections and loyalties of the unfallen beings in the universe. Thus, their
loyalty to God was motivated by benefit and self-interest. Likewise, Satan
contended that the basis for the loyalty of God’s people on earth was also
rooted in a personal, selfish desire to survive and thrive. This misinterpreta-
tion of reality by Satan gave birth to the universal great controversy and, also,
to Job’s time of suffering and his many questions. However, Job’s amazing
faithfulness proved Satan wrong and illustrated the true basis of Christian
loyalty to God: an unwavering and unconditional love for Him and the deep
desire to be righteous.
On that first Friday night in the jail cell, Ian’s loyalty to God was
immediately rewarded. But this reward was not the basis of his faithfulness to
God. Ian was determined to remain faithful to God, apart from any apparent
response. Similarly, when facing the prospect of a horrifying death in “ ‘a
furnace of blazing fire’ ” on the plain of Dura (Dan. 3:15, NASB), Daniel’s
friends valiantly answered Nebuchadnezzar: “We are not in need of an answer
to give you concerning this matter. . . . Our God whom we serve is able to
rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your
hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that
we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you
have set up” (Dan. 3:16–18, NASB). Years later, the prophet Habakkuk sang:
Even if the fig tree does not blossom,
and there is no fruit on the vines,
if the yield of the olive fails,
and the fields produce no food,
Even if the flock disappears from the fold,
And there are no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will triumph in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation (Hab. 3:17, 18, NASB).
But how is such loyalty generated in the hearts and minds of God’s people?
Yes, God’s people, and the rest of the universe, feel the impulse to be loyal to
Him because He is their Creator and, thus, their Father. Family is a compel-
ling reason in and of itself. But there is more: God’s people get their loyalty
from God. They are created in His image (Gen. 1:26, 27). God is love, and by
His grace, humans are loving. God is righteous, and humans originally were
161
teachers comments
162
L esson 13 *June 22–28
(page 104 of Standard Edition)
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 22:11, 12; Jer. 30:5–7; Ps.
91:1–11; Jer. 25:33; Rev. 21:2; Rev. 20:11–15.
Memory Text: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they
shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no
more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the
former things have passed away’ ” (Revelation 21:3, 4, NKJV).
W
e can face the future with hope. Although challenging times are
coming, whatever suffering we must go through, whatever hard-
ships we must endure, whatever sorrows we experience, if we
have hope a better day is coming, we can live life today with purpose and
joy. Franklin D. Roosevelt was president during 1933–1945, one of the most
difficult periods of U.S. history. He was paralyzed by polio and unable to
walk unaided. He once wrote, “We have always held to the hope, the belief,
the conviction, that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”
Albert Einstein, one of the world’s most brilliant men, wrote, “Learn from
yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Alfred Lord Tennyson, a popu-
lar English poet during Queen Victoria’s reign, once wrote, “Hope smiles
from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘It will be happier.’ ”
In this quarter’s final lesson, we will see Christ’s steadfast love during the
most exciting time in the history of the universe and His complete triumph
in the great controversy. The Bible’s last book, Revelation, gives us hope for
today, tomorrow, and forever.
* Study this week’s lesson, based on chapters 39–42 of The Great Controversy, to
prepare for Sabbath, June 29.
163
S unday June 23
(page 105 of Standard Edition)
Read 1 John 3:1–3, John 8:29, and John 14:30. What is the only suf-
ficient preparation for the coming time of trouble?
Read Psalm 27:5, Psalm 91:1–11, and Revelation 3:10–12. What reas-
suring promises does God give us for the time of trouble?
164
M onday June 24
(page 106 of Standard Edition)
Jesus’ words, “ ‘Let not your heart be troubled,’ ” are His reassur-
ance that He will never leave us and is coming again to take us home.
This world is not our home. A better day is coming. Once in every 25
verses, the New Testament speaks of the return of our Lord. When the
days are dark and the oppressive enactments of a church-state power
threaten our lives, the promise of Christ’s coming fills our hearts with
hope. This is the “blessed hope” that has inspired the faithful people of
God in every generation.
Read Revelation 15:3, 4 and Revelation 19:7. How will the redeemed
respond to the glorious salvation provided so freely through Christ?
“The cross of Christ will be the science and the song of the redeemed
through all eternity. In Christ glorified they will behold Christ cruci-
fied. . . . That the Maker of all worlds, the Arbiter of all destinies,
should lay aside His glory and humiliate Himself from love to man
will ever excite the wonder and adoration of the universe.”—Ellen G.
White, The Great Controversy, p. 651.
Read Jeremiah 4:23–26 and Jeremiah 25:33. How does the biblical
prophet describe this scene?
166
W ednesday June 26
(page 108 of Standard Edition)
Read Revelation 20:7–9. How do the 1,000 years conclude? What is the
fate of Satan and his followers?
For 1,000 years, Satan has had no one to tempt or deceive. He and his
angels have been alone to reflect on the deadly consequences of sin. At
the end of the millennium, the wicked dead are resurrected to face the
judgment and receive their final reward (Rev. 20:5).
Now Satan has a vast army of followers. Although Satan has suffered
defeat after defeat in the great controversy, he is encouraged as he sees
the huge throng of the lost. Not yet ready to end his rebellion, he goes
out to deceive these “nations.” Satan inspires them to make one last
great effort to overthrow God and set up their own kingdom. The term
“Gog and Magog” is used to symbolize Satan and the unsaved of all
ages. Satan and his followers surround “the camp of the saints and the
beloved city” (Rev. 20:9, NKJV).
At the close of the millennium, not only are all the wicked raised to
life, but the Holy City, New Jerusalem, descends to earth from heaven
(Rev. 21:2)! The saints have been living and reigning with Christ in the
New Jerusalem for the millennium. Now, at the end of the 1,000 years,
the city descends to earth along with God, Jesus, the angels, and all the
redeemed. Everyone is present for the final battle of the great contro-
versy. Sin is about to be eradicated once and for all!
What does the timing of the final judgment say about God’s
character?
167
T hursday June 27
(page 109 of Standard Edition)
Two Eternities
Read 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10, 11; and Revelation 20:11–15.
What do they say about why the wicked are raised to life again?
Read Revelation 20:9; Psalm 37:20; and Malachi 4:1, 2. What insights
do these passages give us about the ultimate destruction of sin and
sinners and the reward of the righteous?
The good news is that Satan and his evil angels will be destroyed in the
lake of fire. Sin and sinners will be consumed. According to Revelation
20:9, they will be devoured, destroyed, and not eternally tormented. The
next verse uses the expression “forever and ever.” Depending on the
context, the word “forever” does not always mean “endless” but, until
something is completely accomplished. (See Exod. 21:6; 1 Sam. 1:22,
28; Jude 7; and 2 Pet. 2:4–6.) For the lost, the destruction itself, not the
act of destroying, is eternal. God is not the eternal torturer.
In the end, one of two eternities await us all. The lost, unfor-
tunately, receive the “wages” they have earned—eternal death.
Why, then, is our only hope of not getting what we deserve, which
is death, found in trusting in Jesus’ righteousness?
168
F riday June 28
(page 110 of Standard Edition)
Discussion Questions:
Ê Why do you think God has allowed sin to go on for so long? At
the same time, no human being suffers in this world longer than
their own existence here. That is, no one suffers more than his or
her own lifetime. How short is a human lifetime compared to the
thousands of years of sin? How might this perspective help us deal
with the difficult question of evil?
Ë How does the thousand-year period known as the millennium
fit into the plan of salvation? Think about what it says about the
character of God that—not until all of the redeemed will have had
a chance to see the justice and fairness and love of God—will final
judgment be brought upon the lost.
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i n s i d e
Story
Refuge for Russian Speakers
By Andrew McChesney
Ukrainian pastor Vadym Krynychnny faced a major challenge finding a
building for a Russian-speaking church in the Spanish city of Valencia. But,
with prayer, he managed to lease a hall seating 100 people in the city center
for a token 500 euros (US$550) a month.
“It is worth much more,” Vadym said.
The hall was large for the initial group of 26 worshipers, but Vadym got to
work on outreach programs. The church began to host a get-together with a
meal on Sundays. Russian-speaking children were invited to special activi-
ties. Additional programs were organized around such holidays as New
Year’s and Easter. Concerts proved especially popular, filling the church to
overflowing and sometimes requiring the rental of a larger hall.
The church forged strong ties with the local Russian-speaking commu-
nity and became a center for Russian speakers. About 80 percent of Spain’s
estimated 400,000 Russian speakers live in Valencia and along the nearby
Mediterranean coast. Of those 400,000 people, at least 500 are Adventists.
But the first person baptized at the new church was not from Russia or
another former Soviet republic. The woman was born in Iran and had been
raised in a non-Christian world religion. She spoke Russian fluently after
studying for 12 years in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, and she came
to the church after someone invited her off the street.
After 25 baptisms and several former Adventist families recommitted
their hearts to Jesus, weekly church attendance stood at 65 adults and 40
children when the conflict erupted in Ukraine in 2022.
Vadym realized with astonishment that the church was well positioned to
help people fleeing the conflict. The church quickly used its local connec-
tions to establish a refugee center. In the first two months of the conflict, 200
people visited the center, receiving lodging and food. About half of them
were Adventists. Since then, many more people have received assistance.
“Many have come to us, knowing no one in Spain,” Vadym said. “But they
come to us because we speak Russian, and they seek something familiar.”
He credited God for positioning the church to help refugees even before
the conflict started. He said he longed to share
the hope of Jesus’ soon coming with them and all
Russian speakers in Spain. “We are concentrating
all our efforts on meeting the needs of these people,”
he said.
Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this Sabbath will help
spread the gospel in the Euro-Asia Division, the home of
many Russian speakers. Thank you for planning a generous
offering.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
170 mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at AdventistMission.org.
teachers comments
Part I: Overview
Key Text: Revelation 21:3, 4
Study Focus: Jer. 30:5–7; Rev. 3:10; Isa. 33:15, 16; Ps. 91:1–11;
Rev. 1:7; Rev. 19:11–16; Rev. 20:1–15; Jer. 25:33; Jer. 4:23–28; Rev.
21:1–4; Matt. 8:11; Isa. 65:17, 22, 23; Rev. 22:1–5, 11.
Introduction: This week’s lesson wraps up our study, highlighting the final
developments in the cosmic war between God and Satan. Among the notable
events that transpire during the culmination of the great controversy are: (1) the
time of trouble; (2) the second coming of Jesus; (3) the executive judgment in
heaven during the millennium, with a synopsis of events both on earth and in
heaven at that time; and (4) the restoration of all things for eternity. The Bible
promises that the great controversy will end in God’s victory. Scripture calls us
to trust God, participate with Him in the salvation of as many souls as possible,
and share in His past (the Cross), present (individual, church, and salvation), and
future (final cosmic) victory.
Lesson Themes: This week’s study focuses on four related themes:
1. God Himself will sustain and protect His people during the most bru-
tal parts of the final battle of the great controversy.
2. The great controversy will end with God’s victory over the devil, over
evil and sin, and over suffering and death. This threefold victory is
assured because it has already been secured by Christ through His
death and resurrection.
3. We share in God’s victory when we accept it by faith and allow the
Holy Spirit to work it out in us.
4. God’s victory will culminate in the second coming of Jesus, in the
millennial judgment, and in the restoration of all things.
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teachers comments
provided all the evidence and love necessary to save them, but He will
respect their final choice. Others, however, decide to accept God’s grace
because they love Him and want to stay with Him forever.
On another note, the close of probation does not imply that, after that
moment, God’s faithful people will stand without His presence and grace
and covering righteousness. Christ assured us that He will be with us
“ ‘always, to the end of the age’ ” (Matt. 28:20, NASB). The empower-
ment of the Holy Spirit, which we will receive in order to give the loud
cry, will not be removed from us. All God’s people, from Adam and
Abel to Abraham and Moses, from David and Isaiah to Paul and the last
Christian sealed before probation closes, will be saved exclusively by
Christ’s righteousness and mediation, through faith. Thus, the idea that
some Christians at the end of time will stand on their own merit and power
is not biblical.
The Biblical New Heaven and the New Earth
Christians generally talk and sing about heaven as the place of their
final destination and eternal rest. However, we must maintain the bibli-
cal understanding of heaven and guard against falling into pagan or
philosophical views on Paradise. According to many worldviews—such as
Greek, Hindu, or Buddhist philosophies—heaven is an alleged transcen-
dent, timeless, and spaceless sphere that only a disembodied human mind
or soul could reach. In Greek philosophy, the human mind that reaches
heaven somehow keeps its identity and consciousness. In Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Neoplatonism, the human consciousness that reaches
heaven must disappear by dissolving into the universal consciousness.
As a result of the influence of classical Greek philosophy on traditional
Christianity, most Christians now believe in the immortality of the soul and
in a spiritual, as opposed to a material, heaven. These Christians do not real-
ize that these philosophical concepts create irreconcilable contradictions in
their theology and lives. On the one hand, when thinking about death and
heaven, traditional Christians think in Greek philosophical terms: at death,
the immortal soul goes to a transcendent, timeless, spaceless realm, called
either hell or heaven. On the other hand, these same Christians believe in the
exceedingly clear biblical teaching of the resurrection of the body. However,
they do not realize that the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of
the body are simply incompatible and generate a lot of inconsistencies.
If our souls are immortal and are in heaven with God, why resurrect
the body? Under such circumstances, the resurrection of the body would
imply that the soul would leave the spiritual realm of heaven and re-
enter the material, temporal, and spatial sphere. Even so, if only the soul is
immortal, one must ask, Will the resurrection of the body be permanent?
Will the body now also be eternal?
The biblical teachings on human nature and the resurrection eliminate
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teachers comments
all these inconsistencies and problems. First, the biblical teaching of the uni-
tary human nature indicates that humans do not possess an immortal soul but
are complex, indivisible, integrated living beings. At His return, Jesus will
resurrect the whole human being. Second, the biblical teaching of the nature
of humanity rejects Greek dualism and its concept that heaven is a transcen-
dent, timeless, spaceless, divine sphere.
According to the Bible, at death our being is not divided. We do not survive
as an ethereal soul, and that soul does not transition, fully conscious, to a state
of transcendence beyond the created universe. When we die, our entire being
dies. However, when Christ returns, He will resurrect our entire being and
welcome us into His real, historical, temporal, and spatial kingdom. Yes, at the
second coming of Christ, we will travel with Him to the throne of God, to the
heavenly sanctuary, somewhere in the center of the universe. But that travel will
take place in the temporal and spatial universe, meaning we will be traveling in
space and time. We will never go beyond the universe. In fact, no created being
will ever be transcendent because only God is transcendent or beyond the cre-
ated universe. To want to reach the transcendent is to want to be God.
The millennial judgment in heaven will also be a historical event that will
take place in space and time in God’s heavenly sanctuary before His throne,
which is also located in a central place in the universe. After that judgment,
we will return to earth. Following God’s executive judgment against the devil
and the rest of the rebels, God will restore our planet to its original beauty
and perfection. The new earth will be our home. There we will live as we
were originally intended to live before the Fall: smelling flowers, cultivating
a garden, studying a leaf, playing with a lion, meeting and interacting with
redeemed of all ages, as well as with angels and other created beings. Most
important, we will enjoy the privilege of face-to-face communion with God;
we will worship Him in person. The earth and the universe will be reconciled
and will be brought back to the harmony and unity that existed before the
Fall. We will be able to travel freely throughout the universe. The reason
we cannot travel to heaven now is not because of constraints or barriers of
time, space, substance, or speed, but sin. When the great controversy finally
is over and sin is removed once and for all, the new (renewed) earth will be
integrated with heaven, and then will be realized that most precious of Bible
promises: a new earth and a new heaven.
them to overcome this fear? How could you and your Adventist
community communicate our biblical message as good news
rather than as some warped version, produced by Hollywood,
of a scary, postapocalyptic movie? On the other hand, what is
the best way to present realistically many of the darker aspects
of the great controversy, such as religious persecution and the
time of trouble?
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2024 Bible Study Guide for the Third Quarter
The Gospel of Mark, our study for this quarter written by Thomas
Shepherd, can be divided into two halves. Most of the first eight chap-
ters deal with the question of who Jesus is. The answer is displayed
in Jesus’ teachings and miracles, which clearly reveal that He is the
Messiah. The second half of the book (Mark 8:31 until the end of the
book) answer the question of where Jesus is going. The answer, of
course, is to the Cross. This gospel shows us the darkness that Christ
experienced—the cost of our salvation. But the Cross is not the end
of the journey. After His resurrection, Jesus plans a meeting with His
disciples in Galilee—and, as we know, the Christian church began.
It is a remarkable story, told in a terse, fast-moving style with little
commentary from Mark himself. Mark simply tells the story and then
allows the words, the deeds, and the actions to speak for themselves,
regarding the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. It is our prayer that
you will be blessed by this study.