Friday October 21
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Visions of Future Glory,” pp. 722-733, in Prophets and Kings.
Modern science teaches that all matter is composed of atoms, themselves made up of two smaller particles, quarks and leptons, which are believed to be the building blocks of all physical reality. If, then, at the core the physical world is quarks and leptons, couldn’t the God who not only created and sustains that world just reconfigure the quarks and lepton when the time comes to resurrect us? Mocking the resurrection, atheist Bertrand Russell asked what happens to those whom cannibals ate, because their bodies are now part of the cannibals’, and so who gets what in the resurrection? But suppose the Lord simply grabs quarks and leptons, the ultimate building blocks of existence, from wherever, and, based on the information that He possesses about each one of us, reconstructs us from those quarks and leptons on up? He doesn’t need our original ones; any will do. Or, in fact, He could just speak new quarks and leptons into existence and go from there. However He does it, the God who created the universe can re-create us, which He promises to do at the resurrection of the dead.
“The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.” — Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1143.
What a most important truth to place in today's lesson! Who will be raised? The righteous dead. Whose righteousness is "filthy rags"? No! All in whom Christ dwelt through His representative, the Holy Spirit. Thus all who will be raised will be filled with the Holy Spirit the third person of the godhead. Thus, all who will be raised are partakers of God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). It is past time for a correct understanding of what conversion really is. In Ellen White's day, it was rare to find one who had experienced the new birth. "The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they were buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ." Vol 6 Seventh-day Adventist Commentary; pg 1075. That means few from her day will be raised from the grave. How is it today? Have things changed? They have not gotten better, but worse. In her day it was primarily legalism that was the prevailing teaching. Today, legalism remains, but the prevailing teaching is that we are saved in our sin.
Discussion Questions:
There are an estimated 2 trillion galaxies out there, each made of billions and billions of stars. And some of these stars have planets orbiting them, just as the planets in our solar system orbit the sun. Now, think about the incredible power of God, who not only created all these stars, but who sustains them and knows them by name (Ps. 147:4). Though this amazing reality does not prove that this same God can or will raise the dead, how does it reveal to us this same awesome power that He does have and why, certainly, something like the resurrection would not be beyond His power?
So very true. The greatest of all miracles that we can see right here today, is the transformation of character when God turns sinners into saints. What is the effect on the heathen who witness this? "Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not [this] for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I [am] the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes." Ezekiel 36:22,23.
Hebrews 11 highlights the faithfulness and expectations of many of the so-called “heroes of faith” of ancient times. How can this chapter enrich our understanding of the hope that the characters in the Old Testament had, even before the resurrection of Jesus?
The faith of many was that God's promises are true. They looked beyond what they could see with their eyes, the things of this world which shall pass away, to the things unseen which are eternal. They sought after the righteousness promised and a Savior to come. They looked forward to a better world where there is no sorrow, no disease, no death, no sin. They and we are promised a better land.
11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
11:16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Amen! They looked forward to the coming of the Son of God. How much more ought our faith be having seen the glory of God in the life and death of our Savior Jesus Christ! We have set before us the blazing glory of our Lord hanging on the cross. It is by our vision of the stripes He took that belonged to us that we are saved. The truths given to us places a great responsibility upon us to tell the world what we have seen! By doing that which was entrusted to us we can hasten the soon coming of Jesus!
Look up for our redemption draweth nigh!!
