Lesson 4: The Bible--the Authoritative Source of Our Theology

Lesson 4: The Bible--the Authoritative Source of Our Theology

 

The disciples asked Jesus the question, "When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matt. 24:3). He replied: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying. I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (vss. 4 and 5). "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (v. 24).

The very fact that there are hundreds of different church theologies, all claiming to be right, is in itself one of the signs that Jesus foretold. People are puzzled by the fact that there are so many different religions. They cannot all be right! In the theological confusion that prevails, many people are being deceived as Jesus said they would be.

In order to avoid being deceived, we must study for ourselves the clear teachings of the Holy Bible. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20). "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Not miracles and wonders, nor the size of the churches, but teaching of theological truth is the test by which we are to know which is the right way.

We want to encourage you to ask God to give you a "hunger and thirst after righteousness" as Jesus said (Matt. 5:6), a desire to know the theological truth that He has revealed in His word, the Bible. It's "blessed" to sense that hunger for Bible truth that is stronger than our natural-born infatuation with fictional portrays and sports. It's impossible to know "the love of the Father" (which is all-important) if our love is "for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15, 16).

In fact, a love for the word of God is an absolute miracle for any of us, because no one is born with it; it must be acquired as a gift of the Holy Spirit. If you are praying for a new luxury car, your prayer may or may not be answered as you want; but for sure, if you pray for the dear Lord to give you that hunger for biblical theology, He will respond positively. But don't pray like a child asking for something from the toy storewhich tomorrow he forgets he ever wanted; be serious, be persistent. Let the Lord see that you mean business.

And while you are praying, remember to ask for God to give you good common sense to go along with your "hunger for righteousness" that will enable you to distinguish between solid biblical theological truth and the multitude of clever counterfeits that the devil is constantly prompting people to come up with. There are people who are wiser and better informed than you; "he that walketh with wise men shall be wise" (Prov. 13:20). But some people who think they know the Bible and love to talk (and write!) their ideas are fools, for "in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin" (Prov. 10:19). Ask God to give you grace to tell the difference. John says, "Believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1).

The evidence that we truly believe in Him will be seen in the quality of the spiritual food, or refreshing "water of life," that we share with others. It's what Paul said is "the truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2:5), which is "the power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16). New Covenant truth is the explosive "gospel." This is what we're beginning to see as a result of believing this important aspect of the 1888 message.

A prayer that is according to the will of God (1 John 5:14) and therefore sure to be answered in our behalf is a prayer for understanding of the pure truth of the New Covenant in contrast to the Old; the Old leans toward bondage (Gal. 4:24). For sure, that is not "water of life"! Only the New Covenant has life in it.

--Paul E. Penno

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCfZjSxyJCY

Many of Pastor Penno's sermons are on YouTube in Spanish. Just type pastor paul penno en español in the search bar.

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 3: Jesus and the Apostles’ View of the Bible

Lesson 3: Jesus and the Apostles' View of the Bible

"Jesus and the Law"

Ellen White declared in 1889, that before 1888 "we" had "preached the law until we [were] as dry as the hills of Gilboa that had neither dew nor rain." [1] "We" thought we were doing great, fulfilling Revelation 12:17 and 13:12: we were the wonderful "remnant" distinguished by "keeping the commandments of God." Then came 1888!

During those pre-1888 years we lacked what later came as "a most precious message." The gospel was far better than "we" had thought it could be.

The basic theme that permeates what we hear in pulpits and at camp meetings is that in order to be saved there are three things we must do: (1) Read the Bible, (2) pray, and (3) witness. The theme is played almost endlessly, "Maintain your relationship with the Lord," which means get up in the morning, read something devotional, and pray. Once we get far enough along that we have what we think is a "relationship," it's commonly understood that maintainingit is the believer's job.

And here's where we often fall down. We forget or we get too busy, and then it seems the Lord is far away. And of course it's all our fault, isn't it? So … enter Old covenant guilt. Ever since Early Writingswas written (1850) we had been praying for the Lord to send the "latter rain." And now at last in 1888 He did so with refreshing advance "showers" in a message that startled and even alarmed "us."

The question naturally arises, How does the 1888 message (which Ellen White endorsed so heartily) relate to God's law? Does it proclaim cheap grace? Does it encourage disobedience to the law of God? Does the message lower church standards? Does it dwell too much on the cross of Christ and what happened there, and then neglect to remind us of our works, the obedience we must continually demonstrate?

We know that Ellen White was overjoyed to hear A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner present the message. She declared it to be the clearest presentations of the gospel she had heard publicly "for the last 45 years." [2] She also said that if they had not brought the message, we wouldn't have had it, meaning that the Lord laid a burden on them He had not laid on her. [3] If in any way their message weakens obedience to God's law, it could not be "precious," let alone "mostprecious." What made her so happy was that their understanding of justification by faith was fresh, unique, and dynamic. It set the law before the people in its true light. She was painfully aware that the views held by the Sunday-keeping Evangelical churches denigrated God's law, declaring either (1) that it had been abolished at the cross or (2) it was impossible for us fallen humans to obey. Either way, this popular view of justification by faith was employed to refute the Sabbath truth. She rejoiced that the 1888 message presented the Ten Commandments as ten promises—glorifying obedience.

God's Ten Commandments Become Good News!

Rightly understood, the Ten Commandments, which people have long thought spoil our fun ("Don't do this!" or "Don't do that!"), turn out to be ten categories of Good News if we understand why God gave them. This discovery is lifting heavy burdens from tired hearts all over the world.

For example, when the commandment reads, "You shall not steal!" what it actually says is that God will save you from ever stealing even a shoelace! You'll never have a problem, even if you're alone in the treasurer's office with a million dollars on the desk. God will save you from stealing.

It is the talked-about topic in some of the highest placed circles of Bible scholars. As the Internet is a discovery that has revolutionized modern communications, so this discovery of Bible truth revolutionizes the preaching of the gospel worldwide. People are waking up as from a dream; the Ten Commandments have become Good News! 

Now at last we can experience the freedom that the Bible has been telling us but which seemed so difficult to understand: "Oh, how I lovethy law! [not many of us have ever felt thatway!] It is my meditation all the day [boring, we have thought!]. Thou, through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies; … I have more understanding than all my teachers, … I understand more than the ancients, … How sweet are thy words unto my taste … sweeter than honey to my mouth! [this will be a miracle!] Through thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:97-104). Most people have never begun to discover this joy. 

Even church-goers have usually had a love/hate relationship with the Ten Commandments. The law has seemed like a heavy burden, ten precepts carved in cold stone, heavy prohibitions that crush out all the joy of life. Everything that was fun doing seemed to be, "You shall not!" The Ten Commandments seemed like roadblocks in the highway of happiness.

Yet deep in our human hearts we have realized that it's wrong to break them; suffering must be the result either in this life or in the next. Yet we just couldn't know how to keep them, let alone love them. They seemed too hard.

Now comes this fantastic revelation: The Ten Commandments are actually ten assurances of victory. And what we have to do is different than the "Do this or else!" rules we have thought them to be: our job is to believethe Good News that God has embedded in them. Then faith will work to produce a loving obedience.

First comes an astounding disclosure: probably we have been misquoting the Ten Commandments without realizing what we've done. Whoever taught them to us since we were kids usually left out one verse that God put in at the very beginning, before any of the prohibitions. Leave it out and the Ten indeed become Bad News, a "yoke of bondage."

Here it is—the missing verse that belongs at the beginning of any true version of the Ten Commandments:

"And God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the Lord thy God, 
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 
out of the house of bondage'"(Ex. 20:1, 2).

There are some dynamite-like truths implicit here that can shake the earth.

First, God tells us what His true name is: "The Lord." Second, this neglected verse tells us that He is everybody's God, "I am the Lord thy God." Third, in His Preamble God tells us that we don't belong in spiritual Egypt. Fourth, God has already delivered you "out of the house of bondage." Fifth, such Good News is true because the Son of God became incarnate.

"Godly fear" is appropriate for any true-hearted Christian.Jesus describes a group who will appear before Him in judgment at last. They think they have "kept the commandments." But Jesus must tell them sorrowfully, "I never knew you" (Matt. 7:21-23). What could have gone wrong? Their good "works" were "wonderful." 

Paul can help us understand this: these dear people had misunderstood what true commandment-keeping is. It doesinclude Sabbath-keeping, health reform, tithe-paying, all the good works we can think of; but it fails to be true obedience unless it is motivated by agape: "Love [agape] worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love [agapein the original] is the fulfiling of the law" (Rom. 13:10).

Popular Christianity, which teaches that we can be saved in sin rather than fromit, fails to grasp the import of agapebecause people generally hold to the natural immortality of the soul. The world needs to hear the "most precious message," which if proclaimed will be "Pentecost" over again.

--From the writings of Robert J. Wieland

Endnotes:
[1] Review and Herald, March 11, 1890.
[2] The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, pp. 348, 349.
[3] Ibid., p. 608. Ellen White never claimed that she herself was bringing the message of the latter rain or the loud cry; she said that of their message.

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70f4cnIo8R0

Many of Pastor Penno's sermons are on YouTube in Spanish. Just type pastor paul penno en español in the search bar.

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 2: The Origin and Nature of the Bible

Lesson 2: The Origin and Nature of the Bible

 

Why are there so many versions of the bible? When the Godhead saw fit to send Jesus to this earth to be incarnated as a human being, God was trying to reveal Himself to us in a way that words cannot convey. Isn't that enough?

"The Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human. Such a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of God and the Son of man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of Christ, that 'the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.' John 1:14." [1]

Why is faith necessary to accept anything anyone (even God) says? When someone states that something is a fact, why should he or she be believed? An example of this is your name. How did you learn what your name is? Your mother, father, and extended family probably told you your name, and that has been attached to you ever since. What if they were wrong? Well, you say you trust your mother, father, and family to tell you the truth. That's where the "faith" comes in.

Since the Bible is an assembly of many different writers over a long period of history, why do we have a Bible limited to 66 books, to the exclusion of many other writings during the same period of time? Without going into detail, it is true that the early church leadership looked at many different writings before accepting the Bible we now have. There are people who believe the Bible has left some things out, such as the Apocrypha. A careful examination quickly shows us that these writings are not inherently consistent with the Bible writers.

An example of this is the Song of Solomon. Some folks think that book shouldn't be included in the Bible, claiming that there are no references to it in the New Testament. Let's see if that is true. In Song of Solomon, chapter 3, the bride begins a description of a troubled dream she had. She is seeking after her beloved but cannot find him. The rest of the book is a description of the deep feelings between a man and a woman who love each other and want to get married. That is an apt description of Christ who is waiting for His church to "make herself ready" but, because of apathy, she is delaying.

Jesus said "I am the door of the sheep. ... I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:7-9). In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me."

For years, scholars missed this obvious connection between an Old and New Testament book. It is evidence of God's patience that He made sure that the Song of Solomon be included in the Bible, even though, at the time, people didn't completely understand its significance.

Why should we believe the Bible writers were inspired just because they claim to be? How do we know what to believe? These questions usually come from people who haven't read much of the Bible, or they have read compilations of various verses that present a distorted view of the Bible. Most importantly, they have not had the experience of hearing the subtle promptings by the Holy Spirit as they read the word of God. This is personal, it cannot be shared.

It is impossible to understand the gospel without the Bible. The people who lived on this earth while Christ was here had the entire Old Testament but they failed to recognize Him. They hadn't experienced Him through the scriptures.

"Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, ... He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. ... He was pierced through for our transgressions, ... He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth" (Isa. 53:1-7). This passage by itself should have been enough to identify Jesus as the predicted Messiah, but since they were expecting an earthly king, preconceived notions got in the way.

So many times people reject the Bible because of the preconceived notions they got from others. People believe that the Bible requires them to be good before they come to God. They are burdened and heavy-laden and don't see how they could ever be that good, so they avoid anything to do with "religion." It would be better if they would just read the Bible and worry about "religion" later. Jesus told the burdened and heavy-laden to simply come to Him and He would give them rest. What a shame that folks allow lies to prevent them from simply reading to see if the Bible really says what they have been told. They will never know the will of God for them if they avoid reading anything in the Bible. The minute these people suffer any difficulty, they blame God.

The will of God is therefore something to rejoice in and not something to be merely endured. Even though it involves suffering, it is for our good and is designed to work "for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17). 

"Here is the comfort of knowing the will of God. He wills our deliverance from the bondage of sin: therefore we can pray with the utmost confidence and with thanksgiving, for 'this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him' 1 John 5:14, 15, King James Version." [2]

There would be no 1888 message without the Bible. It is the essence of the "everlasting gospel." The Word of God will convince, convert, regenerate, sustain, and comfort every heart that receives it. If you are having trouble "believing," just keep reading His Word, and pray for discernment to understand what God is saying to you. God will always reward such a prayer.

--Arlene Hill

Endnotes:
[1] Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. vi.
[2] E. J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 14; CFI ed. (2016).

Notes:
Bible texts are from the New American Standard Bible, unless cited otherwise.

Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNea1d2Fha0

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 13: From Dust to Stars

Sabbath School Today
With the 1888 Message Dynamic

Daniel
Lesson 13: From Dust to Stars

One discerning writer says that "it is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal." [1]

Don't forget that Daniel adds some tremendous "good news" about this time of trouble: "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: ... and ... thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1).

Michael is another name for Christ which means, "Who is like God?" The angel who was talking with Daniel probably used the name to emphasize the divine-human character of the mighty One who steps forward in the final crisis for the defense of His people. To "stand up" is an idiom to describe how a king takes over his throne and assumes complete control. The idea is clear: Jesus won't be asleep during the time of trouble!

For Him to "stand up" means that He will enter into a new nearness with His people, something never before realized. He will become a Bridegroom and they will become His bride. Revelation pictures the sublime excitement of this new relationship: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7). There is an intimacy in marriage that no other relationship can approach. And a bride not only loves her bridegroom; she can't help but respect and trust him implicitly. She is ready to go with him anywhere, even to perils. She will gladly share all his future experiences. She is even jealous to share his sorrows and pain.

No way will the Lord allow this coming time of trouble to take place until His people collectively "marry" Christ in that capacity as a bride. And this means for them a growing-up "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13) like a bride is grown-up to be able to stand by the side of her bridegroom at the wedding.

A wedding means that now the bridegroom and bride will begin sharing life together. This explains how the coming time of trouble will be the "honeymoon" for Christ and His bride. They will get to know each other intimately as they share the excitement of that time. And if there is to be any pain and sorrow endured by God's people in the time of trouble, you can be sure that Christ will suffer it as much as they.

He is not the one who brings on the time of trouble; He will not cause it in any way. He would love to return the second time in perfectly peaceful circumstances; the time of trouble was never His idea. It is Satan's idea of a farewell party for the saints of God. It will be brought on entirely by the machinations of the wicked who let their hatred of God erupt into a final frenzy of rebellion. Christ will meet this head on as "Michael," the Son of God to be sure; but also the Son of man "not ashamed" to call us "brethren" (Heb. 2:14-18). He is a partaker of our "flesh and blood," the new Head of the human race, 100% human as well as 100% divine. Single-handedly He takes on the combined enmity of hell and of the apostate human race in the final defense of His people.

So we conclude this series of studies on the Book of Daniel with the standing up of "Michael"--the most solemn, awe-inspiring act humans have ever had a chance to see. All the Star Wars and Superman epics of fiction will be eclipsed by the grandeur of His final campaign when He sallies forth (Rev. 19:11-15).

--Paul E. Penno

Endnote:
[1] Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 622.

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQtfeyWZ3Jg

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 12: From North and South to the Beautiful Land

Lesson 12: From North and South to the Beautiful Land

 

"Perplexity" is the word that the Son of God used to describe the kind of international stalemate that characterizes the relations between the Western World and the Middle East. The ABCs have been trying to find the elusive XYZs of peace. And Christ's word is right on. He said that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be. ... upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity" (Luke 21:24, 25). Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians want all-out war, but their religious traditions are in total conflict over the fate of the tiny Old City of Jerusalem. Strange, that in our age of economic and political euphoria that mysterious Middle Eastern "city" still dominates world attention.

The words of Jesus are solemn, but cryptic. Prominent church leaders don't know for sure how to understand what He meant; and there are the equally mysterious chapters of Daniel 11 and 12 where the prophet spoke of political (and religious) developments centering in Jerusalem (the city "between the seas in the glorious holy mountain") as signaling the time for Christ to "stand up" at the beginning of the "time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time" (11:45; 12:1). One's heart goes out to all political leaders who sincerely have been agonizing over what to do to prevent bloodshed.

The religious traditions of Jews and Muslims are deeply rooted and take us back to the biblical beginnings of the present tensions--the Old and New Covenants in the Book of Genesis (we take notice of this because of the 1888 Message bringing to our attention the two covenants).

In the last Book of the Bible we are introduced to God's solution to the crisis: the proclamation of a Good News New Covenant message that will "lighten the earth with glory" (Rev. 18:1-4). It will penetrate even to those deep roots of conviction that motivate Jews and Muslims. How that "loud cry" message will capture their attention is something only God knows. But it will; and it deserves our solemn attention just now. In that same Luke 21 Jesus says the time for fun and games is over (vss. 34-36).

Daniel 11 is probably the longest, most detailed prophecy of the Bible. It mentions wars, persecution, and suffering in connection with alliances and conflicts. National politics, world governments, and power plays involving nations and ideological factions seem overwhelming. All of this can easily cause believers to retreat or, just as dangerously, to embrace worldly methods to advance God's work. Many Christians have fallen into either of these extremes. Some have cowed before the challenge, while others have joined the world in an attempt to advance God's kingdom.

Beyond this important lesson, what else can we learn from Daniel 11 that is relevant and meaningful to our lives? This complex chapter shows that the powers of the world by themselves can neither thwart nor advance God's work.

Daniel 11 focuses on the kings of the north and the south because God's people, living between the warring parties, would be affected by the war and, ultimately, become the target of the final attack. However, as the prophecy reaches its climax, it becomes evident that the God who stands above and behind the unfolding military, political, and religious events will destroy the enemy.

As the prophecy unfolds, there arises "one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom" (Dan. 11:20). Historicist interpreters have identified this ruler as Caesar Augustus, who ordered the census that led to Jesus' birth in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1). Next, the prophecy predicts the rise of "a vile person" who has no legitimate claim to the throne and who destroys the "prince of the covenant" (Dan. 11:21, 22).

Augustus Caesar was a man of peace. He was famous as a "raiser of taxes." Luke speaks of "a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed" (Luke 2:1), at the time that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Augustus' days were the "glory of the kingdom" of Rome. Peace was universal, corruption had been curbed, justice was maintained, and learning was promoted. He died a few years after the birth of Christ, not at the hand of assassins as happened so often, but peacefully in bed.

But Another was "broken" during the reign of Tiberius Caesar--the Prince of the Covenant, the Christ, the Son of God, mentioned as the "Messiah the Prince" in Daniel 9:25-27. This was the one great event of all world history. Rising above the stormy waves of a sea of corrupt human history, stands this eternal Rock of Ages--the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whence we have everlasting salvation.

The death of Christ, the "Prince of the covenant," confirms beyond all doubt the interpretation of these verses in Daniel 11. Christ died only once, under only one government, under only one Roman emperor--Tiberius Caesar. Like an expert surveying land, we see this landmark as making certain our understanding so far of the history in this prophecy.

People from the four quarters of the earth gathered around Christ in His last hours. The Greeks representing the cultured and proud of earth, came saying, "We would see Jesus" (John 12:21). The thief, representing the fallen failures of human life, repented as he was crucified with Jesus. The Roman soldier, a European, was convicted and said, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54). Simon of Cyrene from North Africa bore His heavy cross to Calvary, the first of hundreds of thousands of Africans who since have gladly shared the sufferings of Christ.

Could it be that what was "present truth" then is still present truth today? It was indeed the intention of Jesus Christ to have returned to earth to claim His people within the lifetime of those who first began to understand Daniel and Revelation in the opening of "the time of the end" (1798). The Millerites' prophetic expositions were carefully studied; their conclusions were conscientious and reasonable. Truth is still truth.

God's word has not failed, but God's people have failed to "follow on" to grasp the ever-developing "light" of justification by faith. Their failures have delayed the final victorious conclusion of "the great controversy between Christ and Satan." The delay has not been due to faulty prophetic understandings, but to a failure to grasp the self-humbling revelations of "the everlasting gospel." It must yet "lighten the earth with glory" when the fourth angel's message of Revelation 18 is finally proclaimed clearly.

--Paul E. Penno

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P2ahxIYLAE

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 11: From Battle to Victory

Lesson 11: From Battle to Victory

 

Daniel chapter 10 is a link between the vision of the 490 years probation for the Jewish nation after their return from Babylonian captivity (9:24-27), and the final vision of world history to the "time of the end" (chapters 11 and 12). It is fascinating because it gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the way God intercedes to beat back the powers of darkness that is hindering His work.

The misunderstanding concerning "the daily" and what the "prince of the host" is, shows up again in Thursday's lesson. The "prince of the host" is not Christ. Neither is Daniel 8:11 referring to a heavenly "host" or angels. The "host" in Daniel 8:11 is the pagan military "host" that gave his power to the rising papacy in A.D. 508, when the Frankish king, Clovis, was baptized into the papal church, and surrendered his entire army to the service of the bishop of Rome. In that way, paganism was "absorbed into" and exalted in the papal, "little horn" system.

If this view is not accepted as correct, then there is no explanation for the 1290 years in Daniel 12:11, which is speaking of the very same "desolating power" that is prophesied in Daniel 8:9-12; 9:27, and 11:31. "Those who hold to the view that the 'daily' refers to the continual priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary and to the true worship of Christ in the gospel age find no satisfactory explanation of this text [Daniel 12:11]." [1]

Just as Satan was interfering with God's work in returning the Jews to Jerusalem and reestablishing them there as a sovereign nation (see Ezra 7:25, 26) in preparation for the first advent of Christ, so Satan has been working to hinder God's work through His remnant church that should be preparing for second advent of Christ. By infiltrating the modern remnant church with evangelical theology, such as "the daily" being the ministry of Christ, the claim that sin was finished at the cross (Calvinism), and futurism that is creeping into our prophetic teachings, God's people are being subtly led deeper into Laodicean lukewarmness. 

"This means that Satan will endeavor to commandeer the whole system of substitution just as he took over the old sacrificial system to fight against Christ and the preaching of the new covenant. He [Satan] will proclaim that the gospel of the Reformation, the preaching of Martin Luther, is sufficient to prepare a people for the second advent, and the Lord will come when we have done enough proclaiming. He [Satan] will insist that substitution is sufficient and there is no need for repentance and cleansing." [2]

"We may have much so-called 'righteousness by faith,' but it is a far cry from the light that the Lord gave this people in the 1888 message. And not only has the charismatic movement made attempts to seduce the remnant church through an extremely subjective 'gospel,' but the opposite extreme of a purely objective Calvinist or Reformationist 'gospel' has exploited our widespread ignorance of the 1888 message." [3]

Just as Christ and Gabriel wrestled with the leader of the Medes, Christ and the Holy Spirit are now wrestling with the leadership of the modern remnant church. "The Lord had [a blessing] for us at Minneapolis ... but there was no reception. Some received the light for the people and rejoiced in it. Then there were others that stood right back, and their positionhas given confidence to others to talk unbelief." "Leading men are giving a mold to the work that will result in a loss of souls." [4]

Christ has called His people to repentance through His last message to the world--"be zealous therefore, and repent!" (Rev. 3:19). We continue to believe the smooth words of theologians and cynics who claim that there will never be a "last generation" through whom Christ will demonstrate His power to perfect our characters, and prepare a people for translation. Accepting the words of the skeptics causes us to believe that there is nothing for us to do but wait for the grave to take us. If there will never be a people that finally surrenders to Christ and allows Him to clean us up, then the hope of translation evaporates as a mist.

"We have been enriched by an acceptance of the message that was to illuminate the earth with glory and prepare that generation for translation. Yet no one has been translated, and the loud cry has not yet lighted the earth. This means either one of two things: the message was not what Ellen White said it was, or our acceptance of it was not what we have supposed it was." [5]

We must not overlook the desperation under which Satan toils to prevent God's last message to the dying world from going forward. When it is accepted and proclaimed with the power of the Holy Spirit through the latter rain, Satan's days are at an end. Therefore, he is doing everything he can, using anyone who will promote conflict and doubt that will turn God's people from the message of Christ and His righteousness.

9"According to Ellen White, the 1888 Conference was a miniature Calvary, a demonstration of the same spirit of unbelief and opposition to God's righteousness that inspired the ancient Jews. The spirit that actuated the opposers of the message was not a minor misunderstanding, a temporary underestimate of a debatable doctrine. It was inward rebellion against the Lord. If the Lord's messenger [Ellen White] means what she says over and over, it was a reenactment of the crucifixion of Christ--in principle. This reality is our great stone of stumbling and our rock of offense." [6]

It is past time for us to wake from our Laodicean stupor, repent of our continued resistance to the work of the Holy Spirit in us as individuals, and as a corporate body. It is time for Christ to receive the honor and blessing due to Him when every creature on earth will proclaim, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever" (Rev. 5:13).

--Ann Walper

Endnotes:
[1] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,vol. 4, p. 881.
[2] Donald K. Short,Then Shall the Sanctuary Be Cleansed, p. 97, CFI ed. (2018).
[3] Robert J. Wieland,The 1888 Message: An Introduction, p. 34, Glad Tidings ed. (1980).
[4] Ellen G. White, quoted in Robert J. Wieland,Grace on Trial, p. 138, Glad Tidings ed. (2001).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Robert J. Wieland,Corporate Repentance: Plea of the True Witness, Glad Tidings ed., p. 127 (1992).

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJea1K8wE94

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz

Lesson 10: From Confession to Consolation

Lesson 10: From Confession to Consolation

 

Many years ago one of the Andrews Seminary professors, Leslie Hardinge, had a unique way of looking at the prayer recorded in Daniel 9. He asked his students to read aloud the entire prayer, verses 3-19, and time how long it took. With a big grin on his face, he would read verse 23 where the angel Gabriel relates to Daniel that as soon as he started his prayer, Gabriel was commissioned to leave heaven and meet with Daniel on earth. With the grin still on his face, Dr. Hardinge would tell his students that this is a good indication of the distance between us and heaven.

While this idea might be a little tongue-in-cheek, it's just a literal way to make heaven more real. We know that the Holy Spirit given to us by Jesus is everywhere all the time, and in reality, He doesn't need a few minutes to get to us when we pray, but if Daniel had to wait, we can persist in prayer like he did.

This wasn't an ordinary prayer. Daniel had been studying his Bible, specifically the prophecies of Jeremiah (25:11, 12; 29:1, 10), and he realized that the captivity had been predicted to last only 70 years and that was almost done. At this point in his lengthy life, Daniel could have left studying to the younger men, but he knew the need for staying close to God through His written word. He was a prophet who had explained Nebuchadnezzar's vision of the image, and the first phase, the fall of Babylon and power transfer to Medo-Persia, had already happened. That must have made him a highly respected legend, yet he was remained humble enough to study the scriptures.

Daniel's prayer is one of the best examples of "corporate repentance" found in the Bible. "We are told: 'Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ' (Gal. 6:2). By taking his people's sins upon himself, Daniel was experiencing a repentance for the sins of others, as though they were his sins (he had not joined in their apostasy!). This is the kind of repentance that Jesus experienced in our behalf. When He came to John the Baptist requesting baptism, John refused Him, for he knew that Jesus was sinless. But Jesus had to explain to him that He has come as 'the Lamb of God' taking upon Himself the sins of the entire human race. … John was not permitted to baptize anyone except 'for repentance.' This repentance that Jesus experienced in our behalf was a corporate repentance--repenting for the sins of others, putting Himself in our place. As soon as we begin confessing 'our' sin as Daniel did, realizing that the sin of others would be our sin but for the grace of Christ, revival and refreshing of the Holy Spirit will sweep through God's people." [1]

Daniel's prayer begins with a hopeful note. "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and Keep His commandments" (Dan. 9:4, New American Standard Bible). Daniel knew God didn't need to be reminded of His promises to His people, but it was probably good for Daniel to say these words and remind himself that he served a loving and faithful God. This is a gracious way to start any prayer which can serve to remind us that those promises (covenants) that He made to ancient Israel also apply to modern Israel who believe in Christ. (cf. Gal. 3:29). God is the loving, covenant keeping God that He has always been. It is the same God that came looking for Adam and Eve on the day they sinned. He was not coming to punish them so much as He was there to tell them that they had a significant problem that would kill them, but that He had a solution--the entire plan of salvation.

Daniel's prayer reveals the best reason for prayer. "Daniel pleads a reason that at present moves only a few of God's people to pray. Not for their own personal or selfish benefit, but that the Lord's name may be honored and glorified before the world.…Moses used the same argument in pleading for Israel (Num. 14:11-19). As we near the end, this paradigm shift in motivation will more and more impress God's people." [2]

One of the important facets of the 1888 message is that our motivation for seeking the Lord changes from self-centered requests for our own benefit. We join Daniel and Moses in their concern that the people of the world will misunderstand who God is and how much He loves and cares for His wayward children. Most people have trouble believing God loves even people who are against Him. They don't realize that God poured His love into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit while we were sinners, ungodly, helpless and enemies (see Rom. 5:5-10).

A little insight into the mind of Daniel is found in Daniel 9:21. He is offering his prayer "at about the time of the evening offering." Daniel knew the sanctuary in Jerusalem was demolished and we have no record that the Jews attempted or were even allowed to keep the services going while they were in Babylon. In his small way, Daniel was doing what he could to keep the prayers for his nation going by molding his life according to the sanctuary schedule. The "daily" sacrifices offered by the priests were "corporate" sacrifices made on behalf of the entire camp.

It is interesting that the question Daniel is asking is the one he first asked back in Daniel chapter 8 since he was troubled by that vision and had become sick and exhausted trying to understand it. Daniel had been studying to try to understand what "2300 evenings and mornings" meant for about 12-13 years since that original vision. Daniel was trying to fit the time frame into the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem, but he was still confused. Even though Daniel was assured in chapter 8:26 that the vision pertained to "many days in the future," he was still trying to understand it. This must be part of the reason Gabriel tells him he is "highly esteemed." He has persistently been praying for understanding for 12-13 years.

So many people have no interest in what is happening in heaven. Many go about our daily routines ignoring that there is a heaven and a God who is very interested in us. We fail to recognize how all of heaven is working for humanity's benefit to help us understand what heaven is trying to communicate. Daniel was given the vision of the 70-week prophecy which pinpoints when Christ would come to earth to accomplish the sacrificial phase of the plan of salvation.

Daniel chose to believe the Good News of the great plan of salvation that God was accomplishing through the centuries of earth's time. He also chose to respond and receive Christ's legal justification which gave Daniel the experience of justification by faith. This resulted in his obedience and interest in heavenly things. Pray that we who are privileged to hear this "most precious message" will also receive Christ's free gift.

--Arlene Hill

Endnotes:
[1] Robert J. Wieland, The Gospel in Daniel, Glad Tidings Publishers. pp. 128-129 (2004).
[2] Ibid., p. 132.

Notes:
Pastor Paul Penno's video of this lesson is on the Internet at: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcqAPk1-Nyg

"Sabbath School Today" is on the Internet at: http://1888message.org/sst.htm

RR

Raul Diaz

https://about.me/raul.diaz