Sabbath: Heaven, Education and Eternal Learning
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: John 3:16, 1 John 5:13, 1 Tim: 1:16, 1 Cor: 13:12, Zech: 13:6.
Memory Text: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
A poet, fearful of death, asked about how a person could live without “knowing for sure what dawn, what death, what doom, awaited consciousness beyond the tomb?” He created in his poem what he called the IPH, the Institute of Preparation for the Hereafter. Yet how can one prepare for the hereafter if one doesn’t even know what happens to a person in it?
Fortunately, the Bible gives us great insight into the subject of heaven, the new earth, and the learning and living we will do throughout eternity. As we have seen all quarter, the IPH is here and now, in this life, and all our education – regardless of the field of study – should be preparing us for that “hereafter.”
After all, any school can pass on a lot of good information, a lot of good practical and helpful knowledge. But what good does it do if a person were to gain all that knowledge yet lose eternal life? This week we’re going to look at what inspiration tells about the ultimate graduate school, a school that goes on forever and where we will be learning and growing throughout all eternity. In this school of the hereafter, we’ll learn things that, in this present world, we can’t even begin to imagine.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 26.
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We are a bit ambivalent about this eternal life thing. On the one hand, none of us wants to die and at the same time, we are afraid that eternal life will ultimately become deadly boring, like watching the reruns of the reruns of 1960s TV programs.
Part of the problem is that we are so bound to time in our current existence that we carry that notion into our discussion about eternity. The other part of the problem is that often our view of eternity is limited by the horizon of our view. Isaiah had this to say:
... and Paul thought it was good enough to repeat it:
Beitz suggests(companion book for last week) that if we find Sabbath boring, we would find heaven boring.
That is quite possibly true, but it may also raise the issue that perhaps we have the wrong idea about Sabbath now.
Contrary to any field in this world, there are different types of books. It goes from one level to another, however; the bible is different because everyone uses the same book. It doesn't matter what your intellectual, social and psychological state is. The bible doesn't get old and it doesn't need to be modified. The content doesn't change even though language has been evolving.
I cannot wait to learn from Jesus face to face. We are training for that wonderful day. In Ephesians 3: 17 - 19,
"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (NIV)."
The more we study His word, the deeper we want to dig in. We will spend Eternity learning about His love. The apostle stated even the Heavenly Hosts marvel and are trying to understand the plan of salvation (I Peter 1:12).
Let us read our bible and meditate daily on His love that surpasses all knowledge. Being on this site has been a blessing to me where I have been learning from all of the commentaries. Have a blessed Sabbath and let us keep fighting the good fight and one day we won't communicate on this site, but we will be together with Jesus. Amen.
I claim the promise of the LORD that the Holy Spirit will provide the words for me to explain my faith whatever the circumstance.
I agree with Paul, I would rather be away from this diseased world and damaged body and be with the LORD with a vital body in a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
However, while I am still in this world I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in and in my role as a Caring Lightbearer of the LORD of the Universe.
The mystery of the LORD is hidden from the wise of the world, they cannot imagine the future He has prepared for us, but the Holy Spirit has revealed it to us.
Luke 12:12; 2Cor 5:8; 2Peter 3:13; Philippians 4:11; 1Cor 2:9-10
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth...
Rev 21:1
Heaven, Education and Eternal Learning.
Where is heaven? Where and when does this education starts for heaven? Is my life now showing that I am a part of heaven? When Jesus lived on this earth, was he living a part of heaven?
The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven; education on earth is an initiation into the principles of heaven; the lifework here is a training for the lifework there. What we now are, in character and holy service is the sure foreshadowing of what we shall be.10 {AH 535.1}
Why do we wait and/or teach others, 'oh when we get to heaven we will sing and shout to Jesus' when we are not doing it now.
Or people usually say, I will do this or do that when I get to heaven but they not doing those things now.
The purity of heaven will never be marred with his society. Those who destroy themselves by their own acts will never have eternal life. They that will continue to abuse the health and life given them of God in this world, would not make a right use of health and immortal life were it granted them in God’s everlasting kingdom. {ApM 27.2}
What a powerful reminder!
I asked myself the same question, ‘how can people live without asking to understand the context of their life; not knowing the meaning and purpose for their life, not even asking to explain the suffering and toil associated with life? No wonder that most of mankind just seeks peace and rest in the earthly here and now; just like most of the followers of Christ Jesus expected the Peace of the Kingdom of God to be established on earth in their time.
There is already a spiritual Kingdom set up here on earth, which, if we live in it faithfully, will prepare us for graduating to enter living in the Kingdom of Heaven in the ‘hereafter’.
I believe that, in the life hereafter, we will live again in state of the original rest and all it entails. This *heavenly living* starts in our earthly body - our heart and mind - to lead us toward "knowing the things which God has prepared for them who love Him.”
The poet mentioned in the lesson establishing the IPH seems to indicate that there is some ground work needing to get done which is essential for all who want to experience ‘Heaven, Education and Eternal Learning’ – “regardless of the field of study, it should be preparing us for the hereafter.”
Some schools give passing grades to students who actually have not yet mastered the subjects of the classes they were enrolled in, and therefore still lack in preparation to succeed in earthly endeavors. How much more urgent is it for us to know all we can know about spiritually perceived and practically lived Truth which will fully prepare us to enter Heaven’s life of ultimate Rest?
As a child of God and a student of the Scripture, I do not want to limit myself to only learn what others tell me that I should know and learn – 2Tim.2:15KJV; we show ‘ourselves approved unto God, not man; if necessary, I need to go above and beyond what the teacher knows. It will be of no help to blame the teacher when one finds him/herself unprepared for Heaven!
1Cor.13:1-13KJV – this chapter is entitled “The Way of Love”. Just like the nine ‘Beatitudes’ found in Matt.5:3-12KJV, their wisdom/meaning/purpose to live in this manner is a ‘riddle’ for man’s mind because it is 180 degree opposed to the spirit by which the world defines the way of a successful life. 1Cor.13:12KJV - lets us know that we can understand/see the Way of Truth and Light only dimly because of our inability to fully perceive God’s Truth with our finite mind/heart: “For now we see through a glass, darkly(or, in a riddle); but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. “
Our Father offers/promisses to wholly sustain us as we Rest in Him; our Faith and Trust in Him suffices to *bridge the gap in time* until we understand all things better.
Verse 13: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE)”.
The memory verse should make us stop and think: what has God in store for us? what is He ready to share with us? The eternal realities that God has are mysteries to us because our Loving, Heavenly Father has not revealed them to us. What He has revealed is for our learning. What He has in store for us will keep us occupied throughout eternity. And so, it is a gross misrepresentation of God that He will give us eternal life only for us to be bored, hearing repeats of what we've been told over and over again. I am looking forward to the day that Jesus will open to us marvellous things/stories for our eternal understanding. For instance John the Revelator saw something about the book of thunders but until now we do not know what that is. Even though he saw that and it was so spectacular, he was not able to explain it to us. It will naturally form part of our education in the world made new.
In The Book Education by Ellen G. White we learn that heaven is a school and that it's field of study is the universe. Ofcourse it's teacher is God Almighty. We also learn that a branch of this school was established in Eden. Had man not fallen into sin, that school would have continued into eternity. Education my friends will continue in the world made new. We will study the plan of salvation, the story of redemption during the course of the ceaseless ages of eternity. Our learning though begins here on earth and continues throughout the ages. Indeed as the memory verse says: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." I Cor 2:9 KJV
I've heard it said that we can't fully understand the mystery of the nature of God (Job 36:26), and if we could we would cease to worship.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24).
Putting this together, believing in Jesus is receiving eternal life. Believing, not understanding perfectly. Just believing. And what will we do for all of this eternal life? This never-ending span of time? We'll continue to delve into the mystery of God, that in knowing Him at a deeper level we might continue to worship Him and glorify Him at a deeper level (Eph 2:6-7).
"Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:” now we know in part; but then shall we know even as also we are known." (1 Corinthians 13:12).
So will we ever fully know God at some point in eternity?
Hey family, is it possible that someone can post the introduction to this quarter lesson? Thanks
Introduction and Lesson 1
Introduction to current quarter (Education) is here:
https://ssnet.org/blog/education/
Hello Church Family,
It seems to me that Enoch, Elijah, and Moses are pretty happy in heaven as they have not "clamored" to return to this earth.
I am not worried about what I will "do" in heaven, I just want to "get my ticket" and journey there!
Won't it be awesome to plan a SS Net picnic with Jesus? What a great conversation to look forward to!
For anyone who has spent even a small amount of time in the study of any aspect of creation(butterflies, flowers, birds, astronomy, geology, botany, biology, etc) the idea of perpetual learning in an environment that has no limitations or distractions(poor health, aging, time, distance, travel, traffic, 9-5 job, elections, wars, death, etc), boring does not come to mind! Even a small introduction into any field of science makes us realize the infinite depths of exploration and learning that exists. But greater than all of this is the fact that the Author of all we could study will be our Teacher, and with us always, and this continuing education will take place without one trace of sin to be found or even come to mind. The Original Plan will be restored and Life and living will have a delight we cannot now comprehend. Our best day here will not even come close to the joy and delight of our worst day there. Believe it?
Oh, and the food/fellowship/worship/music...don't get me started! These too will be part of our continuing education.
Even as life here is education, eternal life = eternal education.