Further Study: Heaven’s Best Gift
“In the darkest days of her long conflict with evil, the church of God has been given revelations of the eternal purpose of Jehovah. His people have been permitted to look beyond the trials of the present to the triumphs of the future, when, the warfare having been accomplished, the redeemed will enter into possession of the promised land. These visions of future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, should be dear to His church today, when the controversy of the ages is rapidly closing and the promised blessings are soon to be realized in all their fullness. . . .
“The nations of the saved will know no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, ‘There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death.’”—Ellen G. White,Prophets and Kings, pp. 722, 732, 733.
Discussion Questions:
- However much humans have strived to make things better in our world, the world continues to get worse. According to the Bible, only when Christ returns and remakes this world will it be the paradise that we so long for. Though we know this truth, why are we still called to bring as much comfort, healing, and solace to this world as we possibly can?
- Thursday’s lesson pointed out the important fact that many Old Testament prophecies about the coming of Jesus talked about them in ways that seem to refer to one event, not two. What does that tell us about how closely related the First and Second Comings are, in terms of the plan of salvation? Why is that so? Why is it that without the First Coming there could be no Second, and why—without the Second Coming—would the First be of no avail?
- As we seek for revival and reformation among us, what can we learn from the study of Zechariah that can help us, both individually and as a church, to be prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is vital to the revival and reformation that we so earnestly need?
In reference to Thursdays lesson we must always look to the cross and Be thankful for what Christ has done for us! Noticeably the cross stands for God's love for the entire world! For the cross symbolizes Jesus whose love stretches across and around the globe: North, South, East and West. "s"in entered into this world through "s"atan and therefore must be exterminated by God, which is why God says to Jeremiah concerning us that "He loves us with an everlasting love and that is why HE has drawn us with Lovingkindness" Jeremiah 31:3 (by our beholding the cross, we can hold on and know that salvation is for us!
Christ came into this world to save us spiritually and He will come the second time to redeem us physically into His kingdom as long as we are covered by his righteousness!