Sabbath: Foundations for Prophecy
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 10th of May 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Isaiah 6:6-8, Genesis 3:21-24, Ezekiel 1:4-14, Revelation 4:1-11, Numbers 2:3-25, Isaiah 14:12-14.
Memory Text:
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me’ ” (Isaiah 6:8, NKJV).
God’s right to rule the universe is founded upon His position as the Creator of all things (Revelation 4:11) and also upon His character. It is in discovering God’s righteous character that we begin to understand how and why sinful human beings fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
This week, we move further into the vision of the throne room and consider how the human race relates to a holy God and how the sacrifice of Christ restores us and brings us close to the throne. God plans to restore us, not just as individuals but also as a race, so that we once again reveal His glory to the rest of creation. By searching through the rest of the Bible, we can find important clues that help us understand and begin to appreciate the high calling that God has extended to us, a race of forgiven and redeemed sinners.
Human rebellion, ultimately and forever, will be ended. And, more than that, God’s loving character, His self-denying and self-sacrificing character, will shine even brighter than it did in His original design for humanity. Though God never intended for humanity to fall, through the Cross, God’s loving character has been put on display in a remarkable way.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 17.
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In our thinking, we often describe prophecy as foretelling the future. Or, as is currently happening on many "Christian" websites trying to convince others that we have the inside knowledge on what is happening currently in America and Rome.
While I accept that there is an element of foretelling in prophecy, I am not convinced that it is the main purpose. There are passages in the Old Testament where companies of prophets are engaged in activities that could best be described as praising God. In Elisha's time there is an incident where the "Sons of the Prophets" (or student prophets, if you like) are engaged in building a house.
A wise theologian described prophecy as not only "fortelling' but "forth-telling" - putting forward Jesus.
I like that description and it is probably good advice, particularly in our current circumstances. Our credentials as a church of prophecy should be about sharing Jesus, not about forecasting current political trends.
For the record, I have seen 14 USA presidents and 7 Popes during my lifetime. Most have been subjects of speculative sermons on religious-political outcomes. I have served one Jesus during that time and I still have lots to learn about him. I pray my witness will be about Him and not the comings and goings of earthly captains and kings.
God is the origin of all biblical prophecies. All prophecies originate from God as His divine communication where He reveals His will, warn His people and guides them. “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7,NKJV). As God is the source of all prophecies, Jesus Christ is the central point of focus. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10, NKJV). Understanding the foundations of prophecy is not simply to make us “prophecy geniuses” but to understand God’s will in our lives, the mission of Jesus Christ on earth and hence live a faithful life.
“God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, NLT)
Today we are encouraged to "appreciate the HIGH CALLING that God has extended to us..." (2nd paragraph, last sentence). So I asked myself, "What is God's high calling on my life?"
I recalled that Ellen White had written a book of the same name, OUR HIGH CALLING, and an online search pulled up this devotional from the book. It is very meaningful to me so I thought I'd share... The context is the prophet Elijah's discouragement immediately after partnering with God to powerfully reveal His glory on Mt. Carmel, while under attack by Jezebel yet again, and running for his life....
Christ laid the foundation for prophecy, gave us prophecy for our encouragement and then fulfilled it. If we learn it with an attitude of wanting to know what helps people and ultimately us in the process, we are obviously in tune with Christ.
I know it is not as easy as tuning my trumpet many years ago. I did it by myself by just sliding U-Tube in and out to get it in tune. Keeping in tune with Christ requires the characteristics of true love, which is humility, surrender, and willing to be made, and be kept willing.
Whatever is evil is destined for an end at the cross, while what is good, out of genuine love, is finally victorious. We may still have to wait a little longer and resist until we can receive the crown of victory by cultivating the same Spirit within ourselves.
Prophecy seeks to explain how sin separated us from God. For example, God is in the heavens, we are on the earth. God is outside of time, we are bound within it. God is everywhere, omnipresent, and we are bound to physical locations at any given time. God never gets old; we grow old and die. In summary, prophecy helps us acknowledge that God is so great that we cannot grasp Him (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Prophecy helps us appreciate why God initiated the plan of redemption. The Scriptures proclaim this truth from the beginning and most boldly at Pentecost. In other words, Prophecy is not a philosophical rambling with a potential of truth; it is the TRUTH of the Living God that can never be defeated, and nothing has been able to stand in His way, as He proved when Christ rose from the dead on the third day after His execution as pointed out in prophecy. It does not matter that, as human beings, we have acquired great knowledge, status, wealth, or even power. What matters instead is that God sent His Son as the savior of humanity, and he ultimately saved us. This is the greatest prophetic message of all time/s, and indeed the foundation of all prophecies in the bible.
Amen Dan
Foundation for bible prophecy is God whose purpose is to communicate to fallen humanity the plan of redemption and how this would be fulfilled which was first prophesied in Genesis 3 v15 where God would seek to place enemity between the church and Satan so Jesus and those who truly follow him can be saved. Furthermore this would be seen by the attack on Jesus at the cross by Satan. God's true church would also be attacked,but in the end Satan will be crushed and humanity redeemed.
God has also explained to us how prophecy work in Hebrew 1: verses 1-2 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. We thank God that he has made know to us what is purposes are for fallen humanity and has provided, the remedy, Jesus our Lord and Savior.