Sunday: The Beginning and the End
The description of our pitiful human condition is honestly and correctly painted in Scripture. Bible writers did not always despair, however, because they knew the final outcome. The last chapters in the books of Isaiah and Revelation assure us that the destruction of sin is coming and that God’s kingdom will be restored. God revealed to His prophets the “last things” that will lead to the ending of our world’s dark history. These prophets gave full weight to the gravity of the situation, but they lived with hope because the remedy had been revealed to them.1
As we looked at earlier, if you believe the world began by chance, you most likely will believe it will end that way, as well. This view that doesn’t really leave much hope for those in between such a beginning and such an end, does it?
In contrast, the Bible consistently refers to and describes a literal historical understanding of Genesis 1 and 2. Nothing was left to chance in the Creation of the world. Hence, it’s no wonder that the Word of God also insists on a literal end of this world, as well. Nothing will be left to chance here either.
Read 2 Peter 3:1–10. How does Peter link early events in human history with final ones? What message of hope can we take from this passage?
The primal creation and the final re-creation are vitally linked, each enhancing the significance of the other. When studying the doctrine of the last things (eschatology), we deal with God’s final, definitive acts toward His creation, which lead right into the restoration of His kingdom.
Jesus clearly links the beginning and the end of things with Himself. Three times in Revelation (Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) Jesus refers to Himself as the Alpha and the Omega (alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, omega the last). Whatever else He means by saying that, at a minimum it shows us Jesus’ power and omnipresence; it tells us that Jesus was there, at the beginning of all things, and He will be there at the end. We can trust in Him no matter where we are in between. It’s a way of telling us that, however chaotic things might seem, He is always there for us.
Some Christians have moved away from belief in a literal, physical return of Jesus and a supernatural restoration of God’s kingdom on earth. Instead, they think we need to build the kingdom ourselves. Dwell on past attempts to do something similar. Why should we think future ones will fare any better?
(0)
This week is going to be a fantastic study, Jesus is returning soon and there are many who are confused as to what is going to happen. I pray they will see the truth before it is to late.
People should get this concept very straight, its either you believe God created everything by the power of His Word, or you believe it evolved through billions of years. Either belief will determine your belief in Jesus right now and it will forever alter the state of your eternal existance.
Please let us stick to God's Word, and the words of His prophet E.G. WHITE, there is no in-between!
Friend, your statement seems rather extreme. Are you sure about this? What about those who do not fit into this either-or scenario? What about those who believe in God as Creator but do not accept Archbishop Ussher's 17th century chronology for creation?
Archbishop Ussher? All I hear Mashoko suggesting is that we believe God created everything by the power of His word. What do you believe, Stephen?
R.G. from what I understand Stephen saying is that there are shades of belief that is difficult to be dogmatic about. For instance, there are varying degrees of belief concerning where creation ends and where what can be called evolution begins. There is also debate over how to define created kinds and how far adaption to the environment goes.
Personally I believe God has always been a creator and that the universe was already there before life on this planet was created but that is not the position of Institute for Creation Research or of many Adventists. To them everything was created about 6000 years ago. So there is debate over interpreting Genesis. How much of it is theology and how much is science and history? There are many good Seventh-day Adventist that are very good Christians and hold important positions in the church with admirable performance but question how God works in the universe. Do we dare judge these people as unfit for Heaven based solely on their beliefs about creation? I thought that we are going to be judged by our works and how well we conform to the example that Jesus set.
How do we define creationism? Is believing in intelligent design good enough? Where do we draw the line or is more like the IDL meandering in and out around this and that? There is a lot of gray area out there that I believe we should leave to God's judgment. Meanwhile we all can dig for answers and accept God's invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Dear Tyler,
What you are saying may all be true, but I don't think that it does much to clarify things in this context. Mashoko seems to have drawn a pretty broad distinction, between believing that God created everything by the power of His word, versus believing that it all just happened to evolve over billions of years. I don't see how we could have any difficulty in knowing where we should stand on that question.
On the other hand, if you and/or Stephen feel that Mashoko was being too judgmental toward those who may not yet see the matter as clearly as he evidently does, then I think that one or both of you should have addressed that separately, rather than to confuse the matter itself by beating around the bush, so to speak.
That is why God is so mercyful, He will only Judge us by what we Know, If you know the truth but refuse to act on it, then the Judgement is hard. Christians who know the truth and refuse to act on it will be least.
This is a very important topic, we live our lives only for today and forget that we will be called upon to account for all our deeds..
What a person believes is their thoughts. Whether real or imaginary. I believe Gods Word. The Bible tells me Jesus is the word made flesh, John 1:13. When He is coming back is something I dont need to know. I just believe what he said and did for me and for you. I Thank Him and accepted His gift. That is Life to me.
I believe that Dzakamai is implying that creation is one of (or maybe in his case the foundation) the foundations of our religion. Without this we have no foundation for the sabbath or it's Creator. In the end days E. G. White states that the the sabbath, which is based on creation and the state of the dead are to be the central and polarizing focal points the planet has to decide on in the very last days. It boils down to what Christ says versus what the antichrist and his religous system says. Two oposite sides, on Christ's right His chosen for eternity and on his left the the condemned for eternity.
Thank you for your input, H. Lee, however, I am a little confused about something you said. I believe the reference to those on the right and those on the left refers to the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, but I can find no reference to the Sabbath or Creation in that parable. Or was your reference about those on the right and on the left from another Bible passage? Thanks.
I apologize for the confusion. A teacher I am not. The reference in Matt. 25 I wanted to associate with the eternal results from our choices made in our lives Dzakamai was referring to, not creation. Anyway, if you cannot derive anything out of what I said please ignore it and again I apolgize for the confusion.
H. Lee, thanks for clearing up what you were referring to. I'm curious though, wouldn't the three angels' messages of Revelation 14 be a stronger foundation for pointing people to Creation and the Sabbath than the Matthew 25 parable about the sheep and the goats? That parable is simply Isaiah 58 in story form. There is a lot of social justice in both Isaiah 58 and this parable. Jesus seemed to be saying it would make the difference between being saved and lost. Perhaps being a Sabbath keeper and a Creationist is not enough to save us. Perhaps having correct doctrine is not enough if we do not also become kind and caring as a result.
Thanks again for your reply.
Its amazing to me how some Christians Think. Are we reading from the same Bible? I read Romans chapter 14 today. We should all be careful about the way we think. Its by Faith that we are saved, not our works or Ellen G White. I have accepted CHRIST AS MY SAVIOR ...
John you got me to read Romans 14 and to realize that Paul didn't believe in all the scruples of the Jews yet in this chapter of Romans he is calling us not to judge one another over such things. In my opinion it is one thing to debate the meaning of scripture but quite another to condemn another person because he/she doesn't believe exactly the way we do.
This is what happens when we over-analyzed the Word. There is just one simple conclusion. God orchestrated the beginning and He will orchestrate the end. He promised it and He cannot lie. That's it. It needs no over-analyzing.
It is all very simple and real for me! The love of my life my little 2 year old princess Elena drowned in october last year. Even though I greive every single day, I still live with that blessed hope of her being raised on the day of Jesus return, and the angel bringing her to myself and Merita and placing her in our arms. If I can't beleive that our amazing and precious Saviour and Creator, created this world in 6 days, where does that leave me in beleiving that HE can recreate my princess (and others that have been dead and forgotten for thousands of years) in the twinkling of an eye. John 3 :16 "For God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten son, that whosoever beleiveth in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life." It is up to us whether we beleive in HIM or decide to half beleive in HIM and embrace doctrines of the world as well.
Thanks for your response Stephen. I had several days of tests so I did not respond to you. Yes, the 3 angels messages' would have been a better foundation if that had been my point. Like I said, a teacher I am not, but I was trying to emphasize the results of choices made by the human race at the end of time.(state of eternal existence) as posted in another comment. There are many components of our churchs' beliefs snd doctrines and the foundation(s) of these are in the Bible. They must all be incorporated into our life, not just creation or just the Sabbath as you indicated or just faith.