Sabbath: From the Stormy Sea to the Clouds of Heaven
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Daniel 7:1-28, 2 Thess. 2:1-12, Rom. 8:1, Mark 13:26, Luke 9:26, Luke 12:8, 1 Tim. 2:5.
Memory Text: “Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27, NKJV).
The vision of Daniel chapter 7, our topic for this week, parallels the dream in Daniel chapter 2. But Daniel chapter 7 expands on what was revealed in Daniel chapter 2. First, the vision occurs at night and portrays the sea agitated by the four winds. Darkness and water evoke creation, but here creation appears to be somehow distorted or under attack. Second, the animals in the vision are unclean and hybrid, which represents a violation of the created order. Third, the animals are portrayed as exerting dominion; thus, it appears that the dominion God gave to Adam in the garden has been usurped by these powers. Fourth, with the coming of the Son of Man, God’s dominion is restored to those to whom it properly belongs. What Adam lost in the garden, the Son of Man recovers in the heavenly judgment.
The above description gives a panoramic view of the biblical imagery that runs in the background of this highly symbolic vision. Fortunately, some of the crucial details of the vision are explained by the angel, so we can understand the main contours of this amazing prophecy.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 22.
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This week we start an examination of the broad view of history. We can do this in two ways:
We could read the lesson study, nod our heads and say amen, praise the Lord, or;
We could read up the period of history ourselves from secular sources and match it up with what we are reading in the Bible.
I admire the pioneers who did just that around 150 years ago, with the limited resources that they had available. They chose to study from the resources available to them.
Today we have easy access to multiple historical accounts. We also have access to archeological information that was completely unknown in the mid 1800s. We have no excuse for relying on an analysis that was made 150 years ago.
Please note that I am not saying that our pioneers got it wrong. In fact, if you do the study yourself, you will probably be surprised how much they got right.
Most of us have access to Google and Wikipedia, and while there are a few caveats about using these tools, they are both good starting points for our study. There was a time when some educationalists decried the use of Wikipedia but now most of them recognise that students are going to use it anyway and need a few rules about how to use it rather than a blank denial. I could give you my check sheet for source integrity, but the shortened version of it is to check where Wikipedia gets its information.
This week I plan to give a secular overview parallel to the lesson study, but I do not want to do this alone. I hope that many of you will take the challenge and read widely and check out what I write. I am not an historian and I can take the heat and be corrected when I get it wrong.
I hope that we can recapture some of the spirit of our pioneers as we restudy history together.
Yes bro Mourice ,we will make our contributions and as the Holy spirit would guide us.....but your insightful thoughts always awake my reasoning! My God bless you 🙏
I read all your input. Thank you.
Dear brother Maurice and brothers and sisters, blessed Sabbath. I hope you are all well. God is good, so good.
I hope He is molding you like I know he is molding me. Because that became so obvious through many conversations, small but perfect miracles, laughter and my tears, and much love, today was the best day of my life. And our commenting was a major cause of that. So before I go to sleep I want to quickly share my experience with you. My wife and 9-year-old son are with her brother and aunt in Valencia, Spain for the weekend and I'm at home in Holland so God gave me this time for everything.
Yesterday was a very tough day as I was very much in doubt whether to post what I posted. You see, I felt I lacked love without which all words are empty and counterproductive. I called a friend and pondered much and finally decided to post it. Then I prayed for more love. I was tired and slept too few hours.
Now today, I had many amazing conversations which unfortunately I can't share here with you. But out of that I got a lot of respect for my Muslim team leader and another Muslim colleague. I have a PhD in virology but we do simple logistics work in a factory and I know this is just where God wants me now.
Well, this growing respect for them and the realization that in many ways they are better than me now, let alone than I was before I turned to God the day 02-05-2005, coincided perfectly with what you wrote brother Maurice about the nun. And the realization came upon me that I have approached many with too much distrust! God is almighty and... no words. I then felt much love, the love I had prayed for and enjoyed the rest of the day with them and others. Praise Him.
So thank you Father and thank you brother Maurice.
Now, still I feel that we need to love but at the same time share the truth. Our SDA truth. My colleagues are wonderful people and God works with them through the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, I can see that they are missing something. For example my team leader said she never hurt anyone or even animals but I showed her two occasions where she did hurt other colleagues and spoke with no consideration. Our problem is here that we have truth but we lack the love that we need to share our truth with certain people. Many really. The solution is to pray for the Holy Spirit and for Love.
Let us pray. Could it be providence that tomorrow we have a certain man preaching in our Church tomorrow? Who not long ago had a sermon about Faith, Hope, and Love wherein he stated that the SDA Church received Hope and Faith and perhaps will now receive Love?
I am sure many already received that in the past, our sister Ellen G White was known to be kind and loving, but what if we receive it as a Church?
I want to finish with a short anecdote as a tiny example out of this wonderful day.
She knows the Koran extremely well. She never hurt anyone and not even an animal. Spiders, ants, she put them all outside again. One day she went to a butcher where 8 people chose 8 goats. She prayed and comforted her goat. All seven goats bleat, made noise and were restless but hers was peaceful and quiet when it was slaughtered. Amazing, isn't it?
I could have started about the Eden diet but no.
Seeing a goat as a sacrifice for man when eaten. Respect for that.
God bless you my brothers and sisters. It was a special Valentines Day. Happy Sabbath again. May the Holy Spirit make us grow in faith, hope, and Love. And let us love one another in the name of Jesus Christ.
Bro Maurice,
I am your student when it comes to the weekly Sabbath School lesson study.
The Book of Daniel is not a simple reading as such, reason for which non-Adventist churches shun it. Most Adventists too also have difficulty in reading and understanding this key book.
Pioneer scholars in deed did dedicate their time in study to decipher this book with great and admirable precision. I praise the Lord for them.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you as you collect your thoughts and share in this week's study.
Good morning brother Maurice, I am a student of yours and I hope and pray that God will continue to use you to teach his people through your ministry, God bless you continue teaching his word.