LESSON 2 *April 5–11
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Isa. 40:7, 8; Gen. 22:1–13; John 3:16; Rev. 5:5–10; 1 Cor. 15:15–19; Rev. 12:1–9.
Memory Text: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV).
One of the key problems with modern interpretations of Bible prophecy, such as in Revelation, is that they fail to recognize the ancient roots of Revelation. The author assumes a knowledge of the Old Testament and uses concepts that would have been well-known to his audience. While searching the entire Bible for passages that resemble the text you are studying in Revelation is useful, there are also core texts that set the stage for understanding the book better than other texts do. This is particularly true of Genesis, which lays out the path by which our world descended into sinful chaos. Nearly every key concept mentioned in Revelation appears—in some form—in the opening chapters of the Bible.
This week, we are going to study a handful of big concepts at the core of Revelation. There are many, and so we will choose a few to illustrate the all-important point that understanding the ancient foundations behind Revelation enables the student to see countless nuances in the text, each of which can yield important lessons about the nature of humanity, of God, and of the conflict being waged in our universe and, thus, in our lives, as well.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 12.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, April 5
Lesson 2 - The Genesis Foundation
All who join the ranks of Sabbathkeepers should become diligent Bible students, that they may know the pillars and groundwork of the truth. They should study prophetic history, which has brought us down point by point to where we are at the present time. This is God’s plan for our school. Young men should attend who desire to become educated for any line of work, who have capabilities, and see the necessity of learning more and still more where we stand today in prophetic history, uniting link after link in the prophetic chain, even from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is the Alpha, the first link, and the Omega, the last link, of the gospel chain, which is welded in Revelation.— “Ellen White’s Confidence in Her Calling,” in
Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, p. 171.
The Son of God, heaven’s glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but one who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law and bring him again into harmony with Heaven. . . . Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.
Before the Father He pleaded in the sinner’s behalf, while the host of heaven awaited the result with an intensity of interest that words cannot express. . . . The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8); yet it was a struggle, even with the King of the universe, to yield up His Son to die for the guilty race. But “God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Oh, the mystery of redemption! the love of God for a world that did not love Him! Who can know the depths of that love which “passeth knowledge”? Through endless ages immortal minds, seeking to comprehend the mystery of that incomprehensible love, will wonder and
adore.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 63, 64.
The Old Testament, containing the prophecies of the coming of Christ, is now made of small account. The cry now is, “The Christ, the Christ! The gospel, the gospel!” But the gospel is taught all the way through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. The gospel is revealed in all the prophecies of the first advent of Christ as the Saviour of humanity. Every act of the old dispensation to turn men and women away from sin or to bring them forgiveness was done with reference to the Saviour who was to come. He was the Steppingstone by which humanity was to be exalted.— “Steppingstone,” in
Jesus, Name Above All Names, p. 362.
SUNDAY April 6
The Principle of “First Mention”
Most academic programs begin with a general survey course (often
given the number “101”), a course that covers broad and basic principles
that will form the basis for further study as you dig deeper into
the subject. Likewise, when you read through the entire Bible, you
quickly discover that God also has a general survey course in the book
of Genesis, where He introduces ideas that will be examined in more
detail throughout the rest of the Bible.
Generally speaking, the first time a concept or symbol is mentioned
in the Bible—particularly in the opening chapters of Genesis—you
will discover that it establishes a general understanding of that concept,
which will help you understand how it’s being used later on.
Some Bible students refer to this as the “law of first mention,”
although it would more properly be labeled a principle (or a pattern)
rather than a law, because it is certainly not ironclad, and there are
many exceptions to the rule. The pattern that seems to emerge, both
in general Bible study and in Bible prophecy, is that God slowly feeds
His children information over time, beginning with a basic concept and
then enlarging on it many times over the years, or even the centuries.
Read Isaiah 40:7, 8; Malachi 3:6; and Hebrews 13:8. What principle
can you derive from these texts that would help you properly
anchor your study of prophecy?
* Your notes will not be saved!
Much of the modern world speaks about “truthiness” instead of
“truth,” because it is assumed that “truth” is a malleable thing that can
change over time. Or, in some cases, the very concept of “truth” itself
is deemed suspect.
When God establishes truth, however, He does not change His mind.
Once He begins teaching His people truth, we can count on the fact
that repetitions of the same biblical principle or theme do not change its
meaning but, in contrast, shed further light on that meaning. It makes
great sense in studying prophecy, therefore, to develop a good understanding
of the book of Genesis, where you find many key concepts
explained for the first time, and then take that foundational understanding
with you as you explore the rest of the Bible.
Why is it so important that we not allow anyone or anything, no
matter how smooth or logical, to weaken our faith in the Bible
and the infallible truths it teaches? What are subtle ways that this
weakening can happen?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, April 6
The Principle of “First Mention”
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15. The divine sentence pronounced against Satan after the fall of man was also a prophecy, embracing all the ages to the close of time and foreshadowing the great conflict to engage all the races of men who should live upon the earth.
God declares: “I will put enmity.” This enmity is not naturally entertained. When man transgressed the divine law, his nature became evil, and he was in harmony, and not at variance, with Satan. There exists naturally no enmity between sinful man and the originator of sin. Both became evil through apostasy. . . . Had not God specially interposed, Satan and man would have entered into an alliance against Heaven; and instead of cherishing enmity against Satan, the whole human family would have been united in opposition to God. . . .
It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from
above.—The Great Controversy, pp. 505, 506.
The plan by which alone man’s salvation could be secured, involved all heaven in its infinite sacrifice. . . . He was to stand between the sinner and the penalty of sin. . . . He would leave His high position as the Majesty of heaven, appear upon earth and humble Himself as a man, and by His own experience become acquainted with the sorrows and temptations which man would have to endure. All this would be necessary in order that He might be able to succor them that should be tempted. Hebrews 2:18. When His mission as a teacher should be ended, He must be delivered into the hands of wicked men and be subjected to every insult and torture that Satan could inspire them to inflict. He must die the cruelest of deaths, lifted up between the heavens and the earth as a guilty sinner. He must pass long hours of agony so terrible that angels could not look upon it, but would veil their faces from the sight. He must endure anguish of soul, the hiding of His Father’s face, while the guilt of transgression—the weight of the sins of the whole world—should be upon Him.
Christ assured the angels that by His death He would ransom many, and would destroy him who had the power of death. He would recover the kingdom which man had lost by transgression, and the redeemed were to inherit it with Him, and dwell therein forever. Sin and sinners would be blotted out, nevermore to disturb the peace of heaven or
earth.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 64, 65.
MONDAY April 7
Understanding God’s Love
Part of inheriting a sinful nature means that our perception of the
universe has been tainted by our own propensities toward selfishness
and pride. We see the world from our own limited perspective rather
than from God’s omniscient one (obviously). Perhaps no concept has
been more skewed by the sinful human race than that of “love.” Popular
culture tends to promote an understanding of love that centers on selffulfillment
rather than on others. This self-centered approach to the
subject makes it hard for us to understand how God views the subject.
Understanding the nature of love is an important key to understanding
Bible prophecy. One of the key themes in the great controversy is
the existence of a substantial misunderstanding about God’s character.
Ellen G. White, after all, ends her summary of The Great Controversy
by writing: “The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and
gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all,
flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable
space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate
and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that
God is love.”—Page 678.
Read Genesis 22:1–13. The first mention of “love” in the Bible is found
in Genesis 22:2. What does this story teach us about the nature of
God’s love?
Occasionally, in addition to finding the first occurrence of a concept
in the Bible, it can be useful to find the first mention of that same
concept in individual books of the Bible—especially in the Gospels. In
Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22, and John 3:16, we find the first
mention of “love” in each of the Gospels.
For example, the first mention of “love” in John (John 3:16) is particularly
enlightening: it appears to allude to the story of Isaac on the altar.
Abraham’s faith in God was such that he trusted Him, choosing to believe
that God could raise his son if he went through with the sacrifice (Heb.
11:19). It foreshadowed God’s love for the human race. He loved us to the
point where He “gave His only begotten Son” (see Gen. 22:2, 12, 16)—and,
then, raised Him from the dead. Thus, we are given a revelation of the kind
of love, the self-sacrificing love, that God has for us.
How do we even begin to manifest to others the kind of selfsacrificing
love that God has for us? Why, for most of us, is this
kind of love not necessarily basic to us?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, April 7
Understanding God’s Love
Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. . . .
God made man perfectly holy and happy; and the fair earth, as it came from the Creator’s hand, bore no blight of decay or shadow of the curse. It is transgression of God’s law—the law of love—that has brought woe and death. Yet even amid the suffering that results from sin, God’s love is revealed. It is written that God cursed the ground for man’s sake. Genesis 3:17. The thorn and the thistle—the difficulties and trials that make his life one of toil and care—were appointed for his good as a part of the training needful in God’s plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation that sin has wrought. The world, though fallen, is not all sorrow and misery. In nature itself are messages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorns are covered with roses.
“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green—all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children
happy.—Steps to Christ, pp. 9, 10.
But even as a sinner, man was in a different position from that of Satan. Lucifer in heaven had sinned in the light of God’s glory. To him as to no other created being was given a revelation of God’s love. Understanding the character of God, knowing His goodness, Satan chose to follow his own selfish, independent will. This choice was final. There was no more that God could do to save him. But man was deceived; his mind was darkened by Satan’s sophistry. The height and depth of the love of God he did not know. For him there was hope in a knowledge of God’s love. By beholding His character he might be drawn back to
God.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 761, 762.
As we study the sufferings of Christ, the results of sin are so distressing to us that we cry out to the Lord to take away our sins. As we continue to look, we become more capable of enduring the sight of what Christ suffered, and we realize more and more clearly His love for us. The cross of Christ is invested with a wonderful attraction and unlimited power; for in the suffering connected with the crucifixion scene, God’s love becomes to us more and more impressive.—“The Measure of God’s Love,”
Signs of the Times, February 22, 1899, par. 2.
TUESDAY April 8
Isaac’s Question: Where Is the Lamb?
The Bible’s first mention of a seh (Hebrew: a lamb) occurs in the
same story as the first mention of love: Genesis 22. The lamb, of course,
is one of the most persistent symbols found in the book of Revelation,
in which Jesus is called “the Lamb” more than 20 times. In one of the
most powerful scenes of Revelation—John’s visit to the throne room of
God in chapters four and five—the Lamb plays the central role.
Read Genesis 22:7, 8; Exodus 12:3–13; and Revelation 5:5–10. How
does the story of Isaac’s near-sacrifice help us understand how
lambs are used symbolically? How does this story tie into what
John sees in Revelation 5?
The first mention of a seh (lamb) in the Bible comes in the form
of Isaac’s question: “Where is the lamb?” (Gen. 22:7). Interestingly
enough, the rest of the Bible answers that question in great detail.
The other 38 books of the Old Testament lead the reader along a
path where Isaac’s question is progressively answered with more and
more details, from the Passover rituals to David’s early occupation
and onward. The entire story is punctuated with countless Messianic
prophecies that anticipate the answer to Isaac’s question. Then in the
New Testament, the question is answered when Jesus appears in flesh
and blood, ministers among His people, and finally sacrifices His life
at the cross.
Meanwhile, look at the first mention of a Lamb in John’s Gospel, in
John 1:29–34. It would almost seem as if John the Baptist is personally
answering Isaac’s question, and the setting couldn’t be more apropos.
Sinners are repenting and going under the water in baptism, symbolizing
the death of the sinner and the beginning of a new life. In this
context, Jesus, the Lamb of God, suddenly appears and, according to
Matthew’s account, the heavens open to announce Him: “ ‘This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ ” (Matt. 3:17, NKJV). Notice
how a voice, the Angel of the Lord, also announces from heaven the
solution to Abraham and Isaac’s problem (Gen. 22:11–14).
When you weave all the threads together, it is clear that Jesus, the
Lamb of God, is our Substitute. That sheds much light on our understanding
of the slain Lamb in John’s vision.
Why is knowing that Jesus is our Substitute so foundational to
our salvation? What hope would you have without Him, as that
Substitute, especially in the judgment?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, April 8
Isaac’s Question: Where Is the Lamb?
Heavenly beings were witnesses of the scene as the faith of Abraham and the submission of Isaac were tested. . . . All heaven beheld with wonder and admiration Abraham’s unfaltering obedience. All heaven applauded his fidelity. Satan’s accusations were shown to be false. God declared to His servant, “Now I know that thou fearest God [notwithstanding Satan’s charges], seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me.” God’s covenant, confirmed to Abraham by an oath before the intelligences of other worlds, testified that obedience will be rewarded.
It had been difficult even for the angels to grasp the mystery of redemption—to comprehend that the Commander of heaven, the Son of God, must die for guilty man. When the command was given to Abraham to offer up his son, the interest of all heavenly beings was enlisted. With intense earnestness they watched each step in the fulfillment of this command. When to Isaac’s question, “Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham made answer, “God will provide Himself a lamb;” and when the father’s hand was stayed as he was about to slay his son, and the ram which God had provided was offered in the place of Isaac—then light was shed upon the mystery of redemption, and even the angels understood more clearly the wonderful provision that God had made for man’s salvation. 1 Peter
1:12.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 151.
None among the hearers, and not even the speaker himself, discerned the import of these words, “the Lamb of God.” Upon Mount Moriah, Abraham had heard the question of his son, “My father, . . . where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” The father answered, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” Genesis 22:7, 8. And in the ram divinely provided in the place of Isaac, Abraham saw a symbol of Him who was to die for the sins of men. The Holy Spirit through Isaiah, taking up the illustration, prophesied of the Saviour, “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,” “and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:7, 6); but the people of Israel had not understood the lesson. . . . God desired to teach them that from His own love comes the gift which reconciles them to
Himself.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 112, 113.
Our Heavenly Father surrendered his beloved Son to the agonies of the crucifixion. Legions of angels witnessed the humiliation and soul-anguish of the Son of God, but were not permitted to interpose as in the case of Isaac. No voice was heard to stay the sacrifice. God’s dear Son, the world’s Redeemer, was insulted, mocked at, derided, and tortured, until he bowed his head in death. What greater proof can the Infinite One give us of his divine love and pity.—“The Faith of Abraham,”
Signs of the Times, April 1, 1875, par. 23.
WEDNESDAY April 9
Dealing With Death
Perhaps the cruelest aspect of living in a world detached from its
Creator is the way that death lurks in the background of every life,
ready to strike at any moment. It is the “wages of sin,” the penalty that
we pay for having been disconnected from the only Source of life in the
universe: the Creator. As such, it plays a major role in Bible prophecy,
both its reality and, even more important, its solution, which is found
only in Jesus and His death and resurrection.
Both the first mention of death in the Bible and its first occurrence
shed much light on this major theme in prophecy, helping us to understand
the gravity of the sin problem and giving us important tools to
understand God’s solution to the problem.
Read Genesis 2:15–17, Genesis 4:8–15, 1 Corinthians 15:15–19, and
Revelation 1:18. What do these passages—which include the first
mention and occurrence of death—tell us about why people die,
how God views death, and what His solution is for our problem?
We often say that “death is just part of life.” That is a lie. Death is the
opposite of life, the undoing of life; it is an alien intruder that was never
meant to be part of our experience here. Even though we have become
accustomed to death, our hearts still protest strongly when we encounter it,
as if the human race still collectively realizes that there is something fundamentally
wrong with it. As painful as death is, there are some instances
of death that seem even more tragic than others, such as the death of a
child. For the most part, we expect that parents will precede their children
in death, and we have come to accept that as the normal order of things.
The first death recorded in Scripture, however, goes against the
expected norm. Before Adam and Eve went through death themselves,
they experienced the tragedy of death when their righteous son was
murdered by his unrighteous brother. It was a particularly unjust death.
Think about Jesus, the righteous murdered by the unrighteous, as
was Abel. What death could have been more unjust than Christ’s? What
other parallels might one find between the death of Abel and of Christ
on the cross? How might the nature of Abel’s death help us to understand
why Jesus has “the keys of Hades [the grave] and death” and what
God is offering us in Him?
Without the problem of death being solved, why are our lives ultimately
useless, meaningless, and futile? What does this fact teach us
about how thankful we should be for what Jesus has done for us?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, April 9
Dealing With Death
The murder of Abel was the first example of the enmity that God had declared would exist between the serpent and the seed of the woman—between Satan and his subjects and Christ and His followers. Through man’s sin, Satan had gained control of the human race, but Christ would enable them to cast off his yoke. Whenever, through faith in the Lamb of God, a soul renounces the service of sin, Satan’s wrath is kindled. The holy life of Abel testified against Satan’s claim that it is impossible for man to keep God’s law. When Cain, moved by the spirit of the wicked one, saw that he could not control Abel, he was so enraged that he destroyed his life. And wherever there are any who will stand in vindication of the righteousness of the law of God, the same spirit will be manifested against them. It is the spirit that through all the ages has set up the stake and kindled the burning pile for the disciples of Christ. But the cruelties heaped upon the follower of Jesus are instigated by Satan and his hosts because they cannot force him to submit to their control. It is the rage of a vanquished foe. Every martyr of Jesus has died a conqueror. Says the prophet, “They overcame him [“that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan”] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Revelation 12:11,
9.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 77.
In the midst of Eden grew the tree of life, whose fruit had the power of perpetuating life. Had Adam remained obedient to God, he would have continued to enjoy free access to this tree, and would have lived forever. But when he sinned, he was cut off from partaking of the tree of life, and he became subject to death. The divine sentence, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” points to the utter extinction of life.
Immortality, promised to man on condition of obedience, had been forfeited by transgression. Adam could not transmit to his posterity that which he did not possess; and there could have been no hope for the fallen race, had not God, by the sacrifice of his Son, brought immortality within their reach. While “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned,” Christ “hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” [Romans 5:12; 2 Timothy 1:10.] And only through Christ can immortality be obtained. Said Jesus, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” [John 3:36.] Every man may come in possession of this priceless blessing if he will comply with the conditions. All “who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,” will receive eternal life. [Romans
2:7.]—The Great Controversy, pp. 532, 533.
THURSDAY April 10
The Serpent
The issue of worship is a key subject in the book of Revelation. The
perpetrator and enabler of false systems of worship is identified as the
“dragon” (Rev. 13:2–4), and the serpentine description of this fallen
cherub is no accident. It clearly points us back to the Garden of Eden,
where a serpent entered Paradise and persuaded Adam and Eve to follow
him into rebellion against the Creator.
Compare Genesis 3:1–5 with Revelation 12:1–9. What are some of
the common themes in each account? How do the details found in
the introduction of the serpent in Genesis help us to understand
some of the issues that had previously led to the war in heaven
mentioned in Revelation?
There are two accounts in the Scriptures in which Satan leads the whole
world astray. In Genesis, at a moment when there were only two people in
existence; and then in the account given in Revelation 12 and 13, in which
Satan is identified as the one who “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9)
and as the one who enables the sea beast power so that “all the world”
marvels and follows it (Rev. 13:2, 3). One of the themes found in Bible
prophecy is the unchanging nature of the great controversy. God’s character
and Word do not change, and neither do the ambitions of the devil.
Fortunately, because the nature of the great controversy does not
change, and because we have clear reference points in the prophetic
Scriptures, Christians are able to sift through trends and begin to recognize
where spiritual pitfalls might lie. God will always be who He is,
and the same is true of the devil. Satan may wear a thousand disguises,
but millennia of fallen human history, coupled with the prophetic scenario
painted in Revelation, demonstrate that he never strays from the
game plan he used in Eden. God has promised us wisdom and discernment
(James 1:5), and armed with the certainty of the Scriptures, we
need not fall for the devil’s lies. Unfortunately, many have fallen for
them, and many more—the majority—will, as well.
Consider how culture changes over time. Societal norms shift; things
that were once acceptable become unacceptable and vice versa.
Given that the underlying issues and actors in the great controversy
do not change, what things should a Christian consider in examining
the shifting cultural landscape? For example, the original lies
that the devil told, such as you shall not die and you shall be as gods:
where can you find them being told in your culture today?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, April 10
The Serpent
The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve. Then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it. Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. When she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.” It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power, and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence. Without a fear she plucked and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred. . . .
Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus? Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they remain faithful to God. Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in his eyes outvalued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator—all were overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself, and he could not endure the thought of separation. He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place. He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly
ate.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 55, 56.
The character of Satan, through his efforts to overcome and destroy the Son of God, was developing before the universe, and was being made manifest in its true malignity before the unfallen worlds that had been created by Christ. Every time he stung the heel of Christ with his murderous fang, the serpent was making more sure his own discomfiture and ruin.—“Christ’s Victory Gained Through Pain and Death,”
Signs of the Times, March 26, 1894, par. 2.
FRIDAY April 11
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Revelation,” pp.
578–581, in The Acts of the Apostles.
Many world religions simply deal with ideas; in powerful contrast,
the ideas found in the Christian religion are anchored firmly in historical
events. The Bible is the story of God’s interacting with humanity
throughout history, and by studying thousands of years of such interactions,
we can learn much about the consistent character of God.
Sometimes, however, Christians complain that they are getting tired
of hearing the same things. Sometimes, when our distinctive prophetic
message is being preached publicly, we think that we already have
heard it and have nothing new to learn.
The fact that our message is unchanging and consistent, however,
does not mean that it is simplistic or unchallenging. Quite the opposite:
when you are studying information relayed to us from the mind of an
infinite God, you quickly discover that you will never reach the end of
a subject.
Ellen G. White states that one of the reasons the book of Revelation
was written was to anchor the Christian church in its historical message
for all time. “Some of the younger workers [at that time] . . . had
become weary of oft-repeated truths. In their desire for something
novel and startling they attempted to introduce new phases of doctrine.”—
The Acts of the Apostles, p. 580. To that extent, it is not merely
a book about the future; it is also a book about the past, designed to
keep us rooted in our historical faith so that we are not led astray by a
desire to seek originality.
Discussion Questions:
-
The Scriptures never fail to yield new information and new
understanding. How does one balance the desire to learn something
new with the importance of staying anchored in the truths
that we already have been given?
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How should the church respond to new interpretations of
prophecy? Though we know that there is always more to learn,
how do we discern whether the new light is essential or just a fad,
or even error?
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In World War II as a sailor in the Pacific lay dying, he cried
out to the medic, “I am an orphan. When I die, who will remember
me?” The medic responded, “I will always remember you.”
However well-meaning the medic’s words, sooner or later he also
would die, and so would the memory of the orphaned sailor. How
does this account help us realize the futility and meaningless of all
our lives if death, ultimately, has the final say?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, April 11
For Further Reading
“God’s Love for Man,” in Steps to Christ, pp. 9–15;
“The Plan of Redemption,” in Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 69, 70.
INSIDE STORY
The Milk Miracle
By Andrew McChesney
No cow stood in the yard when Mother returned home from the market.
Mother looked around the yard. No cow. She knew her two small children
were waiting for her in the house. Tears filled her eyes. How could
she tell them that the cow, their only source of income, had been stolen?
Without the cow, they would die.
Mother decided not to tell the children. She didn’t want them to see
her tears. Walking over to some bushes, she poured out her heart to God.
She reminded Him that her husband, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, had
been arrested for keeping the Sabbath and sentenced to eight years of
hard labor far from their home in the then-southern Soviet republic of
Tajikistan. She thanked God for the now stolen cow, whose milk she had
traded for flour, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and cucumbers
at the village market.
“What next?” she wept. “How can my children and I survive?”
As she cried and prayed, she looked at the bushes and saw something
caught in the branches. She looked closer and saw that it was a banknote
for a large sum of money. “Thank You, God!” she prayed. “You have sent
money to buy another cow.”
Mother dried her tears and returned to the market to look for another cow.
But every seller wanted more money than she had found in the bushes.
Finally, a man agreed to lower his price.
“I’ll give you my cow for the amount of money that you have,” he said.
It was the smallest, scrawniest cow in the market.
Mother handed over the money and took the cow home.
“God, this cow is in Your hands,” she prayed.
At home, Mother fed the cow, and the two children played with it. With
food and love, the cow grew and grew. Before long, it was producing twice
as much milk as the cow that was stolen.
“God saved our lives during this difficult time,” said Liubov Brunton,
the granddaughter of the mother in the story.
She said the miracle with the milk serves as a
powerful reminder that God protects and cares
for His mission workers, no matter where and
when they serve. But the story of the cow didn’t
end there. Liubov’s grandmother was about to
witness another miracle. Read about it next week.
Thank you for your mission offerings that support the
spread of the gospel 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.
