Lesson 14 Review: All Things New

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’ ” (Revelation 21:5, NKJV).

The truth of the promises we have regarding the new heavens and the new earth cannot be changed, “But according to His promises we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13, NASB).

What is the ultimate message in passages, Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 66:22, 23; 2 Peter 3:13; and Revelation 21:1-5?

The ultimate message in these passages is the message of the New Heaven and the New Earth that is to come. The Inheritance of the saved is called ‘a country.’ Hebrews 11:14-16.

What does it mean that the redeemed serve God “ ‘day and night in His temple’ ” and John “saw no temple”?

The heavenly sanctuary/temple has always been the place where the heavenly hosts worship God. Also, Christ is the temple because He is the focus of the worship as always, and as it should be.

Who can have the privilege of seeing God?

Matthew 5:8 (NKJV) reads thus; “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God”. However, this does not mean that some people in heaven will not see God, purity is a characteristic of the citizens of Heaven, John declares that “we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2, 3, NKJV) and “see His face” (Rev. 22:3, 4, NKJV). John also stated that “no one has ever seen God” because in our sinful condition we are not pure, but when God has done the work in us that will prepare us for heaven, we shall see Him.

What comfort does the final judgment give us?

‘We can trust that in the final judgment God will treat us with fairness and love.’ Our loved ones will be raised to be with us throughout eternity, those unworthy of eternal life will cease to exist and there will be no more death.

What does it mean when Isa. 65:17 says “ ‘the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind’ ”?

It simply means that ‘the past will not undermine the enduring joy of heaven’ ”.

How can we be assured that we will be among those who will have the name of God written on our foreheads? Or can we be assured?

God came up with the plan of salvation even before the fall, ‘at the center of the plan of salvation is the promise of eternal life, based on the merits of Jesus, to all who accept by faith, the great provision supplied at the cross.’ Only when we accept Jesus, have surrendered to Him, and have claimed His promises, including those of a new life now in Him, and lean totally on His merits and nothing else can we have the assurance of salvation. This is what it means to have the name of God written on our foreheads, and if we do not turn away from God, it will be written there in the new heaven and the new earth, as well.

In Conclusion,

“ ‘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. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold I make all things new. “ And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” ’ ”. I pray that we accept Jesus so we can be saved in Jesus’ name.

Lesson 13 Review: The Judging Process

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NIV).

Nothing is hidden from God, this means that God’s judgements are, indeed, a divine accommodation, carried on for the sake of His creatures, both in heaven and on earth. The Judgement is in three main phases: the pre-Advent Judgement, the millennial judgement, and the executive judgement. These judgements end up in the vindication of the righteous and the second death of the wicked.

How are we judged?

We are judged by our works. In judgement, God does not decide to accept or reject us but He finalizes our choice as to whether or not we have accepted Him – a choice made manifest by our works.

What two groups of people are in Judgement?

The righteous and the wicked. The righteous accept God through their actions, they love God and keep His commandments, the wicked go astray from God’s commandments.

What are the three basic biblical teachings the pre-Advent investigative judgement of God’s people is grounded in?

1.       The notion that all the dead – both righteous and unrighteous are in their graves unconscious until the final resurrection (John 5:25-29)

2.       The existence of a universal judgement for all human beings (2 Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:11-13)

3.       The fact that the first resurrection will be to reward the righteous and the second resurrection will be to destroy the wicked forever.

At what period those the judgement of both righteous and wicked take place?

It happens before the resurrection of course. Daniel 7:22 helps us to know that the investigative judgement begins after the 2300 symbolic days. Matthew 22:1-14 tells us of an investigation at the wedding prior to the wedding feast. Revelation helps us to know this time in the portion that says, “ ‘those who worship’ ” in the temple of God (Rev. 11:1, NKJV) and “ ‘the hour of His judgement has come’ ” (Rev. 14:6, 7, NKJV; compare with Rev. 14:14-16).

What three notable things will happen at the Second Coming?

1.       Both the living saints and the resurrected saints will “meet with the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17);

2.       All saints will be taken to heaven to abide with God in the place He has prepared for them (John 14:1-3, NRSV).

3.       Only after the millennium will the New Jerusalem come down to this earth and become the everlasting home of the saints (Rev. 21:1-3, 9-11).

Where will the saints be during the millennium?

‘During the millennium, while this earth remains desolate, the saints will reign with Christ in heaven (Jer. 4:23, Rev. 20:4).

What are the goals of the whole judgement process?

‘

1.       To vindicate God’s character against the accusations of Satan that God is unfair in the way He treats His creatures;

2.       To confirm the impartiality of the rewards of the righteous;

3.       To demonstrate the justice of the punishments of the wicked; and

4.       To dissipate all doubts that could lead to another rebellion in the universe.’

What would take place during the Millennial Judgement?

The millennial judgement will start after Saints have been taken to heaven, and sit on thrones and the judgement is committed to them. The dead are “judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Rev. 20:4, 12, NKJV). There will be the opportunity in the millennium for books to be opened again and the Saints will evaluate the heavenly records and see God’s fair treatment in all cases.

What is the executive judgement?

‘The executive judgement is God’s final and irreversible punitive intervention in human history’.

What is the nature of the executive judgement?

God did all that could have been done to save humanity, those lost ultimately made choices that led to that end. There will be judgement on the lost, and the annihilation of the lost (as opposed to eternal torment), but these do not go against the character of a loving God. ‘It is God’s love, and God’s love alone, that also demands justice.

What is the effect of the final destruction of Satan and his angels and all the wicked dead?

‘The final destruction of Satan and his angels and all the wicked dead will cleanse the universe from sin and its consequences’.

How is the final destruction of the wicked even an act of God’s love?

It is an act of God’s love both for the saints and the wicked, ‘ they would rather die than live in the presence of God who is a “consuming fire” for sin (Heb. 12:29).

What does the final annihilation of sin and sinners help us understand?

1.       It provides a just and proportional punishment for whatever evil people have committed.

2.       It confirms that sin had a beginning and will have an end.

3.       The whole universe will return to its original perfection before sin, evil, and disobedience arose mysteriously and without justification.

What can we praise God for in the second death?

‘Praise the Lord that He, as our “righteous Judge” (2 Time. 4:8, NKJV), will make the fair decision of granting immortality to the righteous and eternal destruction to the wicked’.

In Conclusion,

Both mercy and justice play out in God’s judging process, He in no way shows partiality to anyone. God’s love is seen not only in the vindication of the saints but also in the destruction of the wicked and sin. I pray that we choose righteousness through our actions so we partake of the blessings kept for the righteous in Jesus’ name. 

Lesson 12 Review: The Biblical Worldview

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NKJV).

The two major “globalizations” in Revelation are the “globalization” of truth and error found in Revelation 13 and 14 respectively. “Every wind of doctrine” will be blowing (Eph. 4:14, NKJV) and people will “turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths” (2 Tim. 4:4, NRSV), but we must remain firm in our belief in all the truth that we have, and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us to be ready for Christ’s glorious appearing.

What are the four dimensions of Jesus’ growth mentioned in Luke 2:52?

‘ ”Jesus grew in wisdom [mentally] and stature [physically], and in favor with God [spiritually] and man [socially]” ’.

What was the nature of Jesus’ ministry?

Jesus’ ministry was a threefold one, to teach, to preach and to heal.

How can we carry out Jesus’ threefold ministry?

We are by God’s grace to emulate the depiction of Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:23 though it may seem impossible as fallen beings.

Why do we have to keep our bodies as “the temple of God”?

We are to keep our bodies as “the temple of God” to glorify God, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31, NKJV). Protecting our bodies should be a religious duty in view of the fact that religion embraces all aspects of human life.

What does it mean to have the “mind of Christ”?

The law is put in our minds under the “ ‘new covenant' ”(Jer. 31:31-33). “When we are united in Christ, we have the mind of Christ” – Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 337. As fallen beings, we can have this mind only by a daily surrender, a daily death to self, a daily determined effort, by faith, to be obedient to Jesus.

How can we receive the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

We must be open to God’s leading by making conscious choices, every day, to do what we know is right and avoid what we know is wrong.

What does the Holy Spirit do for us?

The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and empowers us in leading others into that wonderful truth (Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).

Why do we have to be ready for the Second Coming rather than preparing for that glorious event?

The time of salvation is “today”, time itself does not convert the unconverted. We should plan for the future but should live each day ready for the return of Jesus by God’s grace.

In Conclusion,

We are fallen beings, our model should be Jesus, though we may not be as perfect as Jesus, we can emulate Jesus by God’s grace, it is more reason why we need the Holy Spirit to guide us into the Truth so we have the “mind of Christ”. I pray that we receive the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.

Lesson 11 Review: End-Time Deceptions

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:14, 15, NKJV).

We live in a contemporary world that believes in the supernatural and mystical, this belief has inspired many books, movies, video games and others. The most deceptive of these beliefs is “near death” experiences (NDEs), but this week’s lesson will serve to enlighten us on what the Bible says about this.

Why should we not let the Devil deceive us into relying on our personal feelings and tastes when interpreting the word of God?

‘He knows that the truth, received in the love of it, sanctifies the soul of the receiver; therefore he is constantly seeking to substitute false theories, fables, another gospel.’ – Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 520.

What is common in all resurrection accounts in the bible as it patterns to “Near Death” Experiences?

No afterlife experience that has to do with paradise, purgatory, or in hell was mentioned by either Lazarus or any resurrected person in the bible.

What should we do when we are faced with believing in the false teaching about “near death” experiences?

‘It is crucial that we stick firmly to the teaching of the word of God, despite whatever experiences we or others might have that go against what the Bible teaches.'

Why should the theory of reincarnation be completely disregarded?

First, it contradicts the biblical teaching of the mortality of the “soul” and the resurrection of the body (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Second, it negates the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in the redemptive work (Eph. 2:8-10) and replaces it with human works.

Third, the theory contradicts the biblical teaching that one’s eternal destiny is decided forever by one’s decision in this life (Matt. 22:1-14, Matt. 25:31-46).

Fourth, this theory downplays the meaning and relevance of Christ’s second coming (John 14:1-3).

And fifth, the theory proposes after-death opportunities for someone still to overcome his or her own life’s pitfalls, which is unbiblical (Heb. 9:27).

Why should Necromancy and Ancestor worship be put away?

Spiritists, mediums, sorcerers, and necromancers were abominations to the Lord and should be put to death by stoning (Lev. 19:31; Lev. 20:6, 27; Deut. 28:9-14). The Prophet Isaiah writes thus, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:19, 20, NKJV; also Isa. 19:3).

What should be our safeguard against the demonic deceptions of personations and other appearances?

Our safeguard is in the “whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:13, NKJV), we must put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day. Putting on the whole armor of God means being grounded in the word of God which will help us to distinguish between truth and deception.

In Conclusion,

We must put on the whole armor of God if we must withstand the deceptions of the evil one, there are many false doctrines and teachings that the devil brings before us, but we can only stand firm in God’s word to avoid being deceived. I pray the whole armor of God upon us all in Jesus’ name.