01OKT2013: Lesson 1:The Heavenly Sanctuary: Throne Room Read Psalms 47:6–9; 93:1-2; 103:19. What do these texts teach us about God and His throne? Several visions of the heavenly throne occur in the Bible. Most depict a kind of heavenly assembly, with God as King. Interestingly enough, most of them are concerned with human affairs, usually presenting God as acting for or speaking in behalf of the righteous. The Bible also reveals God as sovereign. For instance, the kingship of the Lord is a recurring theme in the Psalms. God is not only King in heaven but also “King of all the earth” (Ps. 47:7, NKJV), and not only in the future but already in the here and now (Ps. 93:2). That God’s throne is established in heaven has several ramifications. One of them is that God is independent and superior to the rest of the universe. Read Psalms 89:14, 97:2. What do these texts teach us about the character of God and how He rules? God’s rule encompasses righteousness and justice as well as love and truthfulness. These moral qualities describe how He acts in the human world and underscore His position in the entire universe. These qualities, which compose His rule, are the same as those that He wants His people to manifest in their lives (Mic. 6:8, compare Isa. 59:14), and it is our sacred privilege to do so. “As in obedience to His natural laws the earth should produce its treasures, so in obedience to His moral law the hearts of the people were to reflect the attributes of His character.”—Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 144. How can we better manifest goodness, righteousness, and justice in a world filled with evil, unrighteousness, and injustice? Why must we do these things? Tuesday October 1 Worship in Heaven Read Revelation 4 and 5. What do these two chapters teach us about the heavenly dwelling place of God? In what way is the plan of salvation revealed in these texts, as well? The vision of the heavenly throne room is a vision of the heavenly sanctuary. This is made evident from the language referring to the Hebrew religious system. For instance, the words for door and trumpet in Revelation 4:1 appear often in the Septuagint (an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) in reference to the sanctuary. The three precious stones in Revelation 4:3 are part of the High Priest’s breastplate. The seven lampstands are reminiscent of the lampstands in Solomon’s temple. The twenty-four elders remind us of the twenty-four divisions of service for the temple priests throughout the year, and their prayer offering in the golden bowls of “incense” (Ps. 141:2). All of these verses point back to the Old Testament worship service, which centered around the earthly sanctuary. Finally, the slain Lamb of Revelation 5 points, of course, to Christ’s sacrificial death. Christ, the Lamb, is the only mediator of divine salvation and is accounted worthy because of His triumph (Rev. 5:5), His sacrifice (Rev. 5:9, 12), and His divinity (Rev. 5:13). “Christ took upon Himself humanity, and laid down His life a sacrifice, that man, by becoming a partaker of the divine nature, might have eternal life.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 3, p. 141. What we see in these two chapters, centering around God’s throne, is a depiction of God’s work for the salvation of humanity. We can see, too, that this work has unfolded before the other intelligent beings in heaven, a key theme in The Great Controversy motif. Think about what it means that Christ, as God Himself, took on our humanity and died as our Substitute; that is, whatever wrongs you have done and for which you yourself should be punished, fell on Him instead. Why should this truth motivate everything that you do? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***For further study, click the following links: 4th Quarter **entire online lesson:ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less01.html **Collegiate Quarterly (CQ): cqbiblestudy.org/article/464/cq-april-june-lessons/archives/second-quarter-2013/2q13-lesson-two#.UV89KMop7X8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Downloadable lessons in PDF: **Standard Edition: absg.adventist.org/Standard.htm **Teacher’s Edition: absg.adventist.org/Teachers.htm **Easy Reading Edition: absg.adventist.org/EasyReading.htm **Collegiate Quarterly (CQ): cqbiblestudy.org/article/3/cq-april-june-lessons#.UV88xMop7X9
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:28:11 +0000
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