2nd Quarter Sabbath School 2023: Three Cosmic Messages

Mark Finley

HopeLives365

09 A City Called Confusion

Welcome back to our studies in this quarter of our Sabbath School lessons titled 3 Cosmic Messages.

The book of Revelation is a book of contrasts.

There's the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and the dragon, Satan.

There's New Jerusalem from above, the city of God, and Babylon, the city of confusion.

There's the mark of the beast and the seal of God.

There are 2 harvests, the harvest of gory grapes and the harvest of golden grain.

Throughout the book of Revelation we see brought into clear focus the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

And this great controversy is over worship.

In this week's lesson we look at the title of the lesson, A City Called Confusion, and it presents this conflict over worship in clear terms.

The woman in white, dazzling brightness of Christ in Revelation chapter 12, verse 1 and 2.

And the woman dressed in scarlet in Revelation chapter 17.

These 2 women represent 2 ways of life, 2 ideologies, 2 philosophies, 2 systems of religion.

The Bride of Christ is faithful to Jesus Christ.

Her heart and mind and her affections are anchored in Jesus.

All she wants to do is please her lover, Jesus Christ.

So the church, pictured as this beautiful bride, committed to Christ.

There's another picture though, in Revelation chapter 17, of a scarlet woman dressed in, dressed all decked out in gold and pearls.

This woman does not look to Jesus for her direction.

She's united with the kings of the earth and the merchants of the earth.

So this Sabbath school's lesson, a city called Confusion, shows the contrast between the 2 women.

The 1 that is united totally, absolutely, completely to Christ, and the 1 that is totally dedicated to another system, the 1 that looks for power, prestige, aggrandizement, the 1 that is united to the world and the merchants of the world.

This war between good and evil, Christ and Satan, comes to its final fruition in the last days of Earth's history.

We read about this in Revelation 12 verse 17.

The dragon was enraged with the woman and went to make war with the rest of her offspring or the remnant of her seed, as the King James Version says, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

So the dragon Satan is enraged or angry with the woman, the pure woman decked out in white, dazzling brightness.

This, the devil is angry with God's church and he makes war with those who keep the commandments of God.

In Revelation chapter 17 and verse 14, we read the outcome of this war.

Now notice, we're going to look at verse 13 and 14 in Revelation 17.

The spiritual powers, the fallen spiritual powers, that is Babylon, apostate religion, the kings of the earth, that's the political powers, the merchants of the earth, that's the economic powers.

So here you have religious and political and economic powers that have all united.

They give their power and authority to the beast power.

These will make war with the lamb and the lamb will overcome them for he is Lord of lords and king of kings and those that are with him are called, chosen and faithful.

Those that respond to that call are chosen by God to be witnesses for him in this final generation.

And he empowers them to be faithful in the most difficult times.

But look, there's this battle, this struggle, but it says the Lamb, Jesus Christ, will overcome them.

He overcomes the principalities and powers of hell.

Now let's pause for a few moments and look at some of the issues in Monday's lesson.

Monday's lesson is entitled The Wine of the Wrath.

And in Revelation, chapter 17, verse 1, it talks about the fact that this woman is pictured as being riding on a scarlet-colored beast.

It says, the kings of the earth, verse 2, have committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth are drunk with the wine of her fornication.

The bride of Christ in Revelation 12 is committed to Christ.

The woman in Revelation 17 commits fornication with the kings of the earth.

It means she has an illicit union and looks to the kings and political powers and the merchants of the earth to receive power.

It says that she passes around her wine cup.

It says the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

It affects conscience, reason, and judgment.

So here it is talking about the intoxication of false doctrine that the devil uses to deceive.

The devil is pictured in the Bible as a serpent because he deceives and a dragon because he destroys.

He deceives those whom he will destroy and destroys those whom he will deceive.

So the wine cup represents false doctrine.

So this woman, fallen religion, riding on a scarlet-colored beast, controlling and dominating over the kings of the political powers of the earth, has a wine cup that she passes around intoxicating people with their false doctrines.

The false doctrine of Sunday worship, the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the false doctrine of depending on works for righteousness rather than Jesus Christ, the false doctrine of the idea of the rapture rather than the literal second coming of Christ.

In this description in Revelation 17 we read something.

It says in verse 5, and on her forehead a name was written, Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth.

What is the significance that Mystery Babylon the Great is written on her forehead?

Babylon, the ancient city of Babylon, was long destroyed when John wrote this.

Babylon ruled the world from 605 to 538 BC, before Christ.

Babylon was destroyed by the Medes and Persians, according to the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, never to be rebuilt again, to be desolate.

When John writes, he writes hundreds of years, centuries after 538 AD, he writes in the end of the first century in 95 AD or thereabouts.

So there is, you know, 600 years later, Babylon's been destroyed.

What does it mean, mystery Babylon the Great?

That a religious political power would arise that would be a, have the characteristics of the ancient Babylon brought into the Christian Church.

Well what are some of the characteristics of ancient Babylon?

Well, 1 of those characteristics we find in Thursday's lesson.

You read that in Jeremiah 50 verses 33 to 38, in Jeremiah 51 verses 17 and 47.

So Babylon is a man-made system of religion that wars against the Church of Christ and it is a system in which idols and images play an important part of its worship.

In ancient Babylon there were at least 13 major gods.

1 of the major gods was Belmarduk, the Sun God.

And so Babylon would be a system of religious apostasy that brings images into the Christian church as objects of worship.

And any time you have an image as an object of worship, it limits your conception of God.

The image can take the holiness that belongs to God and God alone.

So 1 of the characteristics of Babylon is that it's a man-made system of religion.

It is a system that emphasizes the union with political and economic powers.

It's a system that incorporates images that are brought into the church.

In other words, it's an apostate religious system.

At the end of the lesson of this week, we read, and this is from the book Great Controversy, page 383 by Ellen White, The message of Revelation 14 announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt.

Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days.

Therefore, it cannot refer to the Roman church alone, for that church has been in fallen condition for many centuries.

You have the first angel's message, the gospel going to the ends of the earth, God's call to fear God and give glory to him.

Reverence God, respect God, give Him glory in the way you live.

7 Blessings to Live Successfully in the Last Days

If I asked you, where are the Beatitudes found in the Bible, what would your answer be?

Most people would say they're found in Matthew, the fifth chapter.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, Blessed are they that mourn, blessed are the meek, and so forth.

Is that the only place in the Bible that beatitudes are found?

Somebody says, well, pastor, they may be found in others of the gospels.

But wait a minute, Are you aware that there are Beatitudes in the book of Revelation?

7 Beatitudes are outlined in the book of Revelation.

And the book of Revelation gives us 7 beatitudes, 7 blessings to live successfully in the last days of earth's history.

Let's look at the 7 beatitudes of the book of Revelation.

We begin with Revelation chapter 1, verse 1.

It says it's the revelation of Jesus Christ Where did Jesus get this revelation?

God gave it to him Why did God give it to him to show his servants things which must shortly come to pass?

And so the book of Revelation is more than a book of beasts and images and cryptic symbols.

It's a book given to us by God to enable us to live fully abundant lives in the last days of earth's history.

Beatitude number 1, Revelation 1, verse 3, "'Blessed is he that reads, "'and they that hear the words of this prophecy "'and keep those things that are written therein "'for the time is at hand.'" So blessed is the 1 that reads, The person that reads the book of Revelation, the person that understands prophecy, the person that knows what's coming because they have read with divinely enlightened eyes by the Holy Spirit, they will be blessed.

Blessed is the person that reads, those that hear.

Now the word for hear in the original Greek language is akuo, it is understand.

So it's 1 thing to read Revelation, it's another thing to understand it.

By comparing Scripture with Scripture, by reading the book of Revelation, by filling our mind with prophecy, and by allowing the Holy Spirit to interpret that prophecy in our lives.

Here it says, in those that keep, blessed is he that reads and hears, or understands and keeps.

The purpose of reading and understanding is to keep, is to do those things that are written in the book.

So the book of Revelation leads us to perseverance.

And that's what these blessings are about.

They're about a people who saturate their minds with the word of God, who have God's word and his prophecies filling their hearts.

A people whose minds are not saturated with the mass media of our day.

They're not saturated with the latest Hollywood themes.

They're not infatuated with Hollywood stars or enamored with the sports heroes.

They have the greatest hero in the world and that's Jesus Christ.

And so this is the blessing of for those that study.

Now, the second beatitude is the blessing for those that are faithful to God.

We find this beatitude in Revelation chapter 14 and verse 13.

It says, Revelation chapter 14 Verse 13, I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the spirit, they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them.

There is a blessing placed upon the person who's been faithful to God.

In the book of Revelation, chapter 13 and 14, the beast power arises.

There's a time that no man can buy or sell.

There's a time that to be faithful to God, One's life is threatened, 1 may be put in prison, and 1 may be isolated from family and friends, and God's Spirit, of course, is there with them.

The Holy Spirit is encouraging them, giving them hope.

But This says in Revelation 14, verse 13, blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth.

So there are those who may give up their lives, even as martyrs, when the mark of the beast is enforced.

As they do that, The Spirit of God touches their lives and influences other people through their faithfulness.

Blessed are the dead that die on the Lord from henceforth, yea, the Spirit says that they may rest from their labors.

They are resting, but the legacy of their life goes on.

They may have been martyrs for their faith, but their life witness still goes on.

The impact of their life touches other people.

Are you living your life in such a way that when you die, the legacy of your life still blesses others?

That your faithfulness to God impacts your family, your friends, your children, your relatives, your working associates.

It is a special blessing given by God upon Every person that is faithful to him and lives a Christ-centered, biblically-oriented life, the blessing is that when you die, the legacy of your life will continue to bless others.

Now, the first blessing in Revelation 1, verse 3, is the blessing of study.

The second blessing is in Revelation 14, verse 13.

It is the blessing of faithfulness, that if you live a faithful life, your life blessing will continue to go on.

The third blessing is the blessing of vigilance.

We find that in Revelation 16 and here in verse 15.

Jesus says, behold, I come as a thief, not that he's coming secretly, but he's coming swiftly, unexpectedly.

Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame." In other words, be vigilant.

Do not allow the world to squeeze you into its mold.

Do not allow the world to crowd out the things of eternity.

You remember what it says in Romans, the 14th chapter.

Here in the book of Romans, the Bible is very, very plain about the world and it's how the world is attempting to squeeze us.

It's written, it's actually chapter 12, verse 2.

"'Be not conformed to this world.'" In other words, don't let the world squeeze you into its mold.

Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed.

By the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So allow the Holy Spirit to enter your life.

Don't be enamored with the things of this world.

Don't let the things of time crowd out the things of eternity.

Revelation chapter 16, the third beatitude says, Behold, I come as a thief.

It means to be on guard and keeps his garments.

That is when we come to Jesus, he clothes us with his righteousness.

When we come to Jesus, he surrounds us with his love.

When we come to Jesus, he fills us through the Holy Spirit with the fruits of the spirit of love and joy and peace and longsuffering.

Blessed is he that watches, that's alert, keeps his garments, that is vigilant, does not allow the things of time to crowd out the things of eternity, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

There's a blessing for the 1 who is eternally vigilant, because once you let your faith slip, You remember how it's put in the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 2.

The Bible puts it this way in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 2 verse 1, therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we've heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?

Don't let the things of eternity slip through your fingers like grains of sand.

Don't neglect the salvation that Christ has given to you.

That third beatitude is an earnest appeal to watch and be vigilant.

08 The Sabbath and the End

We are looking at summaries in our Sabbath school lesson on the 3 cosmic messages.

We're already looking at lesson number 8.

I hope you've been blessed as you've studied them or as you have been teaching them.

The lesson for this week, number 8, is called the Sabbath and the End.

What role does the Sabbath play in end time events?

We've looked at the fact that there's a great controversy between good and evil, a great controversy in the universe between Christ and Satan.

And the thing that Satan hates more than anything else is that Christ was the creator of the human race.

That Jesus himself participated with the Father as the active agent in creation.

As it says in Ephesians 3 verse 9, that God created all things by Jesus Christ.

John chapter 1 also indicates that Christ is the creator.

Christ's worthiness for worship is based on the fact that he created us.

It says in Revelation 4.11, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honor, and power, for you have created all things.

Now, in today's lesson, I point out in the opening paragraph, and I want to say something about that opening paragraph so nobody misunderstands it.

The opening paragraph, the essence of humanity's dignity is a common creation.

The fact that we are uniquely created by God places value on every human being.

The unborn in the mother's womb, the quadriplegic teenager, the young adult with Down syndrome, the Alzheimer's afflicted grandmother, all have immense value to God.

God is their father, they're his sons and daughters.

So we have value, every life has value because God is our creator.

Do we then mean to imply that God created birth deformity?

Do we mean to imply that God is responsible for the abnomaly, the anomalies that are in this world?

No, we live in a broken, sinful world, so there are sickness, suffering, death, birth deformities.

But that does not mean that that individual with Down syndrome or that person that's way on the end of the autistic spectrum or that person born with a birth deformity is less valuable to God.

We live in a broken world, a sinful world where these things happen, but God is our creator and every human life is valuable to God.

Now looking here at Sunday's lesson we have talked about the judgment, creation, and accountability.

The world we live in that has accepted the evolutionary hypothesis says we are products of our heredity.

And we do what we do largely because of heredity and environment.

Understanding that we're created by God, understanding that God fashioned us, that God made us, we have responsibility.

We are beings that can make rational moral decisions.

Therefore, as the Apostle Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5, every 1 of us will stand before the judgment bar of God.

As Paul says in Romans, every 1 of us will give account of himself to God.

So because we are created and because we have moral beings, we are accountable to God in the judgment.

Now, what relationship does this have to the Sabbath?

The Sabbath constantly points us back to that creation.

It constantly points us back to the fact that we did not evolve, that we are human beings, that we have this accountability to God.

The Sabbath is a symbol of our worth, of our dignity.

The Sabbath talks about our accountability to God, that we are creatures, he is creator.

The Sabbath talks about grace, that we rest every Sabbath from our labors and we rest in his love, we rest in his care.

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