25/03/2016
Sabbath School Summary
Redemption
Lesson 13
Memory Text: Revelation 21:4
SATURDAY: Evil came about because of the free will of man. Having true freedom means having the option to choose between evil and good. At the end of this great controversy when God has redeemed His faithful ones, all the mysteries about His character will be plain to man. We'll spend a thousand years with Christ where we'll take part in judgement.
SUNDAY: Binding in the Bible basically refers to a prisoner. Satan tried to keep John the Baptist (Matt. 14:3-4), Jesus (John 18:12, 24, 19:40), Paul and Peter (Acts 21:33, 12:6), a demonaic (Mark 5:3, 4), a woman whose back had been bent over (Luke 13:11, 12, 16), Lazarus (John 11:43, 44) and Barabbas (Mark 15:7-15) bound so evil will grow. But in the end, Satan is bound and cast into outer darkness (Rev. 20:1-3, Matt. 12:26-29, 2 Tim. 2:9, Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).
MONDAY: The earth will return to its state of void after the second coming (Gen. 1:2, Jer. 4:26) where they'll be no man for Satan to deceive (Jer. 4:25, Rev. 20:3). Jesus will take the righteous living and resurrected dead to heaven (Jn. 14:1-3, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17) where the remainder of the dead will stay dead until the thousand years end (Rev. 20:5). God will unravel every mystery to the saved and together with them, they'll judge the lost (Rev. 20:4) for their sins.
TUESDAY: The Bible depicts God as an enthroned King of the universe Who ensures justice is meted out to all the earth. After the thousand years and second resurrection Satan will lure the unsaved to fight for the holy city (Revelation 20:5, 7-9). All lives will be present before the judgement seat of God, some inside the city and some outside the city just as Jesus and Paul spoke of (Matt. 7:22, 23, Phil. 2:9-11). God's just nature will be revealed (Rev. 16:5).
WEDNESDAY: It is only the restoration of the earth which implies removing sin and rebellion that will put an end to the great controversy. Like Peter, John describes a new heaven and a new earth in which everything will be destroyed to make way for a new whole existence (2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 21:1, 2, 9, 10, 22:1-3). Our minds cannot fully grasp the beauty of the New Jerusalem whose maker is God (Heb. 11:10). There'll be no more pain nor death.
THURSDAY: In the New Jerusalem, there'll be no more tears. A mother will not need to wipe tears from the eyes of her child, neither will a friend need to wipe tears from the eyes of a companion. God has assured us of a land free from pain, death, sweat and sorrow which resulted from the fall (Gen. 3:16-19). God sent Jesus to dwell with us redeem us, and He'll finally place the throne of the universe in our midst (Gen. 3:15, Ex. 25:8, Jn. 1:14, Rev. 21:3, 2 Cor. 6:16).
FRIDAY: During the millennium which occurs before the final destruction of the lost, the saved will get answers to all mysteries and in union with God will judge the world and angels (1 Cor. 6:2, 3, Rev. 20:4). Not until the saved has understand why the wicked are to be destroyed, none of the lost will face the final judgement. It’s going to be painful, for sure; but when it’s finished, we'll appreciate the just nature of God (Rev. 16:5).