Introduction
Memory Text: “ ‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24, NKJV).
Most
Christians in the first eighteen centuries were very comfortable with Bible
Prophecy, and there was a surprising level of agreement on what the key
messages of the prophecies were. Prophecies are not to be discarded on account
that they are too hard to understand, neither are they to be invalidated
because some Christians disagree over every prophetic jot or tittle. God’s
intention is this: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10, NKJV).
What is God’s intention for us concerning prophecies?
God’s intention for us concerning prophecies is that we may
understand.
How can we avoid missing the messages or misunderstanding the loving and
holy character of God as recorded in the Bible?
By being surrendered to the Lord, by having a heart open to
learning the truth, and by reading the Bible under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, we can avoid missing the messages or misunderstanding the loving and
holy character of God as recorded in the Bible.
What is available for us to understand now?
What is necessary for our salvation.
Where should Bible prophecy lead us to?
In the end, Bible prophecy must ultimately, in one way or
another, lead us to Jesus and the promise of salvation that He offers to all
humanity. Prophecy helps us to know what God offers us in Jesus.
What makes the book of Daniel somewhat different from the book of
Revelation?
The angel’s instruction to Daniel begins with an injunction
to “shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end” (Daniel
12:4, NKJV), John was told to “not seal the words of the prophecy of this book,
for the time is at hand” (Rev. 22:10, NKJV).
What is the fulfillment of Daniel’s prediction that “knowledge shall increase”
at “the time of the end?”
The birth of our global movement, in other words, is a
fulfillment of Daniel’s prediction that “knowledge shall increase” at “the time
of the end.”
Why can we be so grateful for the knowledge of the truth?
The knowledge of the truth is something we should be
grateful for, especially when we think of it in light of its contrast to the “darkness”
that so much of Christendom exists in. For instance, some have the wrong idea
of something as basic as the seventh-day Sabbath. Some too, are ignorant about
death.
How do we ought to approach Bible Prophecy?
We ought to approach Bible prophecy by studying carefully everything
the Bible says on a particular topic, and to taking into consideration the
context in which it says it, as well.
What rule should be followed in understanding Bible prophecy?
The Bible must be allowed to define its own terms. We can
tell from the Bible texts in Thursday’s lesson that a horn can symbolize a political
power or nation. A sword can symbolize the Word of God. And yes, a woman can
symbolize the church.
In Conclusion,
To get a consistent and reliable understanding of prophecy, we must study prophecies under the influence of the Holy Spirit, study prophecies with an open mind, and study prophecies in the full context, in comparison with all the Bible says about a topic. We must make the Bible interpret itself. Prophecies lead us to the understanding of the salvation we have been offered in Christ and may we all be saved (sheaves for the heavenly garner, Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pg. 342), in Jesus’ name.
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