SDA Sabbath School Lesson 5- 2nd Quarter 2025-The Nations: Part 2

[Richard Myers]

2nd Quarter        Lesson 5                                                                                                                                            April 26-May 2                                                                                                                                                             

 
The Nations: Part 2

Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 2:9-17; Dan. 2:31-35; Isa. 17:12-13; Dan. 7:1-3; Rom. 3:10-19; Rev. 12:15-16; Rev. 10:1-11

Memory Text: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Through the centuries, some people have argued that God wanted the Fall, that it was His intention for humans to descend into sin and death, and thus lead Him—in the person of Jesus—to the cross. After all, how else could He have so powerfully and graphically displayed the depth of His love for humanity than by dying on the cross for them? In short, the thinking goes, God needed humanity to fall.

That is a horrible and wretched position to take. It was never God’s intention for either Satan or humanity to fall. The rebellion of Satan, and then of humanity, was a tragedy of immense consequence, and our joy in Him would have remained complete had our first parents not fallen.

This week, we will continue looking at the problems caused by the Fall and the desire for human government as opposed to God’s governance. These truths are powerfully revealed in the book of Daniel, which shows that God was right when He warned His people about what would happen when they turned away from Him and chose earthly monarchs instead. This is exactly what they got: earthly monarchs instead, and sinners lording it over sinners—never a good combination.

The problems caused by the fall. Yes, indeed there were problems,  but the greatest of all problems was the risk the Father and His Son took when Jesus came to this dark spot in the universe, a helpless baby in our fallen nature to fight the battle of life as we have to.  Do you think it was easy for our heavenly Father to let His innocent Son come where Satan claimed dominion, at the risk of failure and eternal loss? No it was not easy.

Sorrow filled Heaven, as it was realized that man was lost, and the world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and there was no way of escape for the offender; the whole family of Adam must die. The heart of the Son of God was touched with pity for the lost race. Upon his lovely countenance rested an expression of sympathy and sorrow. Soon He approached the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father, and he seemed to engage in close converse with him. The anxiety of the angels was intense while Jesus thus communed with his Father. Three times he was shut in by the cloud of glory; the third time he came forth his countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and trouble, and shone with benevolence and loveliness, such as words cannot express. He then made known to the angelic host that a way of escape had been made for lost man. He told them that he had been pleading with his Father, and had offered to give his life a ransom, and take the sentence of death upon himself, that through him man might find pardon; that through the merits of his blood, and obedience to the law of God, man could again have the favor of God, and be brought into the beautiful garden, and eat of the fruit of the tree of life.

At first the angels could not rejoice, for their Commander concealed nothing from them, but opened before them the plan of salvation. He told them that he would stand between the wrath of his Father and guilty man, that he would bear iniquity and scorn, and but few would receive him as the Son of God He would leave all his glory in Heaven, appear upon earth as a man, become acquainted by his own experience with the various temptations with which man would be beset; and, finally, after his mission as a teacher should be accomplished, he would be delivered into the hands of men, and after enduring almost every cruelty and suffering, that Satan and his angels could inspire wicked men to inflict, he would die the cruelest of deaths, hung up between the heavens and the earth as a guilty sinner. And not merely would he suffer bodily pain, but mental agony. The weight of the sins of the whole world would be upon him. He told them also that after his death he would rise again the third day, and ascend to his Father to intercede for wayward, guilty man.  Signs of the Times; January 30, 1879.     Herein is love. Wonder O heavens and be astonished O Earth!

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 3.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday         April 27
The Very First Commandment

The Garden of Eden was a classroom for God’s first people, a place where their interaction with the creation would endlessly teach them and their offspring more about the Creator. “The holy pair were not only children under the fatherly care of God, but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. . . . The mysteries of the visible universe—‘the wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge’ (Job 37:16)— afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight.”— Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 50, 51.

Read Genesis 2:9-17. What was the first command, a prohibition, that God gave to humanity, and why was it so important?

The first use of the root verb tswh, “to command,” that God gave to humans was in Genesis 2:16-17 the command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. How can some knowledge be forbidden? Isn’t it always useful to experience and to know more?

In prisons, criminals learn how to be better criminals being instructed by the very best. So yes, it was beneficial if one wants to be a better thief. My dog after an expensive training session was an obedient dog. But, if my dog got picked up by the pound and spent time with many other dogs, would my dog come home being better trained, or would my dog have to go through another round of training because in stead of learning good things, the other dogs were a bad influence on him. Maybe this is why God destroyed every living thing off the face of the Earth except what was in the ark. It was for our good that they and the dinosaurs perished in the flood.

Not according to Scripture: God was intent on educating His people thoroughly while sparing them from the long-term suffering that some knowledge would cause, such as what would later happen when people chose to rule themselves rather than to be ruled by the Lord Himself.

Millennia later, when Israel asked for a king, the Lord laid out the consequences (as we discovered last week), and He informed His people that the decision to step away from His direct rule would last until the end of time.

As the kings of Israel became progressively more wicked, God’s covenant people became so worldly, and so removed from their purpose, that He gave them even more of what they wanted: human government.

Approaching the book of Daniel with this background in mind can be enlightening: not only is the march of empires depicted in the book’s visions an indictment of “the nations”—the Gentiles—it is also an indictment of Israel’s failures, their refusal to follow His mitswot (commandments). Centuries of subjection, instead of the freedom first given in Eden, would become a new classroom where willing hearts could witness the striking contrast between the kingdoms of this world and God’s kingdom.

Are we not mightily blessed living in our day when the Book of Daniel was opened for our instruction? It was sealed in Daniel's day and not opened until 1798.

Think about the kinds of knowledge, even now, that many of us would be better off not knowing. How does this help us understand what was forbidden in Eden?

Why would we want to know about evil? There are some things we are better off not knowing. God gives us each day what we need for that day. And, how many do not appreciate the light given? For an example, the great question to ask and answer is what must I do to be saved (transformed)? So, we are told that be beholding His glory we are changed into His image (character). Then we are also told it would be well for us if we spent a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Jesus. How many do it? Very few. Why when given this great light, is it ignored by the vast majority when it was for our good?

[Richard Myers]

Monday        April 28
Daniel 2

It was during the Babylonian captivity, through the prophet Daniel, that God presented the most compelling descriptions we have of the relationship between His people and the kingdoms of this world. His people were no longer autonomous; they would now be reaping the consequences of their choices. (And, perhaps, learning from them?)

Yes, it did cure them of idle worship, but not much else. By beholding the heathen in Babylon many decided to stay in Babylon. Of those who went back to Jerusalem many were greatly influenced by Babylonian morality.

Read Daniel 2:31-35, which gives a sweeping panoramic view of world history until the end of time.

 2:31   Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness [was] excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof [was] terrible. 
 2:32   This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 
 2:33   His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 
 2:34   Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 
 2:35   Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 

What important truths can we learn from this amazing prophecy?

At the end of the nineteenth century, many people were exuding a new confidence in human progress. The Paris Exposition (1900), for example, was a remarkable showcase of optimism about the future. Surely, with all of our technological and scientific advances, many of humanity’s worst problems would be at an end! As humanity entered the twentieth century, among many thinkers there was this great optimism that Enlightenment ideals—such as human perfectibility and the power of reason—would usher in a wonderful new era for humanity.

Indeed it was a wonderful new era for humanity, during the 1800s the Book of Daniel was open to our understanding. Bibles were published by the millions and sent around the world. In America His church was expanding rapidly with the help of a prophet in their day (our day). Sadly His church was in a Laodicean condition and few were truly converted. Jesus wanted to come, but His people refused to cease sinning. "Let him who is holy be holy still" was not yet going to be, nor has it been ever since.

World War I, however, quickly shattered those dreams, and by the end of the twentieth century, we had lost more than 200 million people to warfare. We may have advanced in a technological sense, but certainly not in a moral one. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we have guided missiles but misguided men. And that’s a very scary combination.

We must  apply this to His people when bringing up morality. For we have been entrusted with His sacred oracles and are responsible for teaching morality to our families and friends. We cannot give to others what we do not have, thus the world continues to go rapidly down hill.

Many students of prophecy have noticed that the metals in Daniel 2 move from most valuable to least valuable: gold devalues to silver, silver devalues to brass, and brass to iron, until we end up with only iron and clay.

Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and other nineteenth century thinkers attempted to convince us that humanity is somehow tracking upward—that we are evolving biologically and socially. And though in some ways human existence has improved (at least at a physical level) who actually looks ahead to the future of this world, as it is now ruled and governed, with much optimism about peace, security, and prosperity?

No, human existence has deteriorated rapidly and if Jesus does not come soon, there will no flesh left alive. And notice how short humanity has become. Humanity has always been declining physically and spiritually. There are many who can still be saved, but it is a small number when compared to the billions now living on Earth.

Jesus warned, “ ‘And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . . For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places’ ” (Matt. 24:6-7, NKJV). Despite these warnings, how can we draw comfort from knowing that we have been warned beforehand about them?

We draw comfort from the truth entrusted to us, from a powerful and loving God who is our protection, and from knowing Jesus is even at the doors.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday         April 29
Daniel 7

The dream of Daniel 2 was first presented to a Babylonian king. The vision of Daniel 7, in contrast, was presented to a Hebrew prophet, a member of God’s covenant people.

Daniel is shown the same subject as was Nebuchadnezzar, but from a different perspective. Instead of a statue, he sees a series of nations rising up out of the sea, the result of wind churning up the water. These nations were in a continual state of strife, causing a perpetual shift in power among them. Verses such as Psalm 65:5-8; Isaiah 17:12-13; and Jeremiah 46:7-8 use the analogy of floods and waves to depict the tumult among the nations.

In contrast, the Promised Land existed, at least for a period of time, as an island of peace and safety amid a sea of Gentile kingdoms—a sacred nation established on the solid foundation of God’s government, as opposed to the unruly nations around it.

Read Daniel 7:1-3.

 7:1   In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters. 
 7:2   Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 
 7:3   And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 

There is a lot of movement in this scene. What lessons can we draw from this imagery, such as the beast first arising from the sea?

Those living in America can be thankful they did not live in countries where there was no Constitution to protect from loss of freedom. It is true today that our Republican and Protestant heritage is fast disappearing. Americans were blessed to have liberty that many did not have. As we near the end, persecution will soon fall upon His people when they stand up for the truth.

Daniel watches the chaos of Gentile warfare from the shore, when suddenly the beasts start coming up on the land—into his territory! Gentile problems had now become his people’s problems. They had chosen to live like Gentiles, so now they would live with (and under) Gentiles. Starting with Babylonian domination, God’s covenant people never again enjoyed complete or long-lasting autonomy.

This loss of autonomy for God’s people today will persist until the close of time, when Christ is finally restored to His rightful place as our King. In the New Testament, God’s people continued to suffer under the thumb of the Roman Empire and then under the persecutions of the little horn, pagan Rome’s successor.

Though, historically, some nations have been better than others, and some eras have been more peaceful than others, the vast majority of the history of nations, peoples, and empires has simply been going from one tragedy to another, from one oppressor to another. And often this is all done under rulers claiming only the best of intentions for their own people. What a contrast to the rule that God had wanted for His people, if only they would have chosen it.

How does Romans 3:10-19 help explain so much of our world?

 3:10   As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 
 3:11   There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 
 3:12   They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 
 3:13   Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips: 
 3:14   Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness: 
 3:15   Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: 
 3:16   Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 
 3:17   And the way of peace have they not known: 
 3:18   There is no fear of God before their eyes. 
 3:19   Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 

How does verse 19, especially, show why we so desperately need the gospel in our lives?

This found in Romans comes and is seen in Psalms 53 and 14  when it was hard to find one who loved God supremely. "There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Today, this is misapplied in God's church. Many teach and apply it to us today. Like calling our condition is as "filthy rags." It may be true of most in the church, but not all are Laodiceans. There are 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. This is God's church not because we have done good, but because we have been entrusted with the truth. And there were some in David's day so maybe it does apply to us today as a people.

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday         April 30
Between Land and Sea

The land and sea imagery in the Bible, especially for prophecy, can be very instructive. Consider the case of the symbols of land and sea in Bible prophecy, which are contrasted sharply. “Symbolically, when earth and sea are juxtaposed, earth often represents the ordered world, or even the land of Israel, while sea refers to the Gentile nations that menace it as the sea menaces the land.”—Beatrice S. Neall, “Sealed Saints and the Tribulation,” in Symposium on Revelation, Book 1, ed. Frank B. Holbrook, (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1992), p. 260.

In this thinking, the land is a place of stability, established on the government of God; the sea represents the unstable turmoil of nations established on human pride.

With the idea expressed above as the background, read Revelation 12:15-16 and Revelation 13:1-11. Notice the juxtaposition between water and earth. How are they used, and what can they teach us about how to understand prophecy?

Notice that the dragon uses water to persecute the woman (the church). As we have seen, in prophecy water often symbolizes worldly governments and the turmoil and chaos that often attends them. Hence, we can see how Satan was able to use the masses, prodded by their leaders, to persecute God’s people through much of church history.

Also, Seventh-day Adventists have understood Revelation 12:16 to refer to the migration of persecuted believers to the New World. If our understanding of land and sea is correct, what does this say about the founding of the American Republic?

Could we consider it to be “the earth” in the same way that the “Promised Land” was—a place set aside for God’s people? Could this be why the land-beast first appears to be lamblike? Though America has never been the “New Israel” as some of its early founders liked to see it, for a long time it has been a land of religious freedom for millions of the world’s religiously oppressed.

Unfortunately, this lamblike beast will one day speak “like a dragon” (Rev. 13:11, NKJV). The United States, so long a beacon of religious freedom for the persecuted, will become the dominant religious persecutor! This is another example of what happened when humanity chose to rule itself instead of being ruled by God.

The Sabbath Day is a day of rest. A time to be with God and His creation. At times the sea is at rest. God can make the sea rest. "Peace be still."  The sea is always moving, never stopping. The land does not continually move.    Thus can we not say that in prophecy when using land versus sea that it would involve the continual movement versus little or no movement. Some lands have huge populations that reveals much movement, whereas some lands have very few people thus very little notice of much movement. America was a "new" land very far away from the known world where there was much movement continually. But, after its discovery by the old world, America would become like the heavily populated "old world." Thus, today we would not see America as "land," but as "sea."   In the Book of Rev. we see a transformation in the second beast, there is no longer the peace of being still.  We then depend upon what the Bible has to say about the second beast. So the land represented a land of very little population whereas the sea was the old world that was very populated. As to the spirituality of the second beast we do not look at land or sea, but take the Bible for what is says happens. It began as a lamb, but was transformed into a dragon.

[Richard Myers]

Thursday         May 1
Prophesy Again

The remnant church was born in the New World, precisely where those seeking religious liberty had fled during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Given the long-standing religious and political obstacles that existed elsewhere, it is doubtful that the launch of this movement would have been as swift or powerful in some other location as it was in the new land that became the United States.

God wanted a nation that would be known for its liberty. America was known as the land of liberty. She had her flaws, but was still known by all as protecting individual freedom. When the Civil War took place many gave up their lives that all would have freedom. America soon will persecute those who love the truth. She will speak as a dragon.

Read Revelation 10:1-11, which describes the birth of the movement.

 10:1   And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 
 10:2   And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth, 
 10:3   And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 
 10:4   And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 
 10:5   And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 
 10:6   And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 
 10:7   But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. 
 10:8   And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go [and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 
 10:9   And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 
 10:10   And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 
 10:11   And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. 

Look for some of the elements we have studied, such as “the nations,” the land, and the sea. Applying appropriate caution, so that you do not read too much into the passage, what potential insights can you find in this account?

Not potential, but absolute insights as with all prophecies. The Book of Daniel was sealed unto 1798. The timing was perfect. With the birth of America was a nation free to protect the birth of a people who would take the gospel message and the last warning message to a world soon to perish.

The angel cries with a loud voice, much as the three angels of Revelation 14 and the angel of Revelation 18 do. This is an urgent moment in history when the work of the remnant church is established for the sake of “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” Rev. 10:11.

The angel holds a “little book”—likely the book of Daniel (see Dan. 12:4)—which is open for the first time in many generations.

Not "likely" but absolutely as with all prophecies.

He has one foot on the sea and another on the earth. This might be in reference to the idea that the message covers the globe, both the Old World and the New. It might also be a reference to the idea that this message is for all nations: those who live on the land and those who live in the “Gentile” sea.

The world, at long last, will be lighted up with the glory of God, and the final messages of Revelation 14 are carried to evearyone. As with Israel, our mandate as a church is to preach the gospel “in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14.

God is pushing human history toward its grand conclusion: the end of human empires and the permanent enthronement of Christ. Read Daniel 2:34-35, 44, 45. The Bible makes it perfectly clear, without any ambiguity, that all these worldly kingdoms will be eradicated, without a trace of them and their ugly legacies left, and will be replaced by God’s eternal kingdom, where sin, suffering, sickness, evil, and death will never rise again.

Amen!!

Look at how accurately the prophecies of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 predicted the rise and fall of all these worldly empires. Why should that accuracy, amazing if you think about when Daniel was written, help us trust Him on the promise of the final and eternal kingdom—God’s?

How else would anyone explain the perfect fulfillment of these Bible prophecies as well as all of the other prophecies in the Bible? There is a mighty God in heaven who has revealed Himself by sending His innocent Son to this dark spot in the universe a helpless baby in our fallen flesh to fight the battle of  life as each person must, at the risk of failure and eternal loss? Jesus could have failed. Herein is love. Wonder O heavens and be astonished O Earth!!

[Richard Myers]

Friday         May 2

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Tower of Babel,” pp. 117-124, in Patriarchs and Prophets. “ ‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.’ Revelation 21:1. The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin. “One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: ‘He had bright beams coming out of His side: and there was the hiding of His power.’ Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God—there is the Saviour’s glory, there ‘the hiding of His power.’ ‘Mighty to save,’ through the sacrifice of redemption, He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised God's mercy. And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and declare His power.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 674.

Amen!!


Discussion Questions:

    In the end, all earthly accomplishments, no matter how grand, no matter how great, no matter how awe-inspiring and glorious, will be turned to dust, to ashes, and ultimately vanquished forever. That includes whatever great and glorious earthly things you might have accomplished or are accomplishing now. Why is it always important to keep this perspective in mind? How should this perspective help you keep your priorities straight?

There is something we can do that we will take to heaven. Through the power of God's grace, we can form characters that we will take with us to heaven. It is the greatest of all battles we shall have to fight. It is a daily work of dying to self by beholding the glory of our God. Our part is immeasurably small, His part is immeasurably large. Without our part we shall be eternally lost.

    Have a careful look at the sea beast of Revelation 13:1-10. In what ways is this beast the natural consequence of the mindset of Babel? It is clearly the sum total of all human “nations,” from Babylon through to the little horn power. What characteristics of each empire have you noticed that have persisted throughout time? In what ways does the world still reflect the values of Babylon or Rome, for example?

All of these powerful nations share one thing in common, they are at war with God and His people. They think they are great when in fact they lead a great multitude away from the truth and God.

    How do we as Adventists strike the right balance between following the Lord and obeying the laws of whatever nation or government we live under? What happens when obedience to one leads to disobedience to the other?

As Seventh-day Adventists if converted we will give to God what is God's and to our nation what belongs to our nation. When we love the Lord our God with the whole heart, it will be necessary to disobey our nation when we obey the commands of our God. The last test to come to humanity will be just that. When the nations of this world enforce Sunday laws, Seventh-day Adventists will continue to keep the seventh day Sabbath rather than recognizing the first day false Sabbath. Our work on the sun day will be to call the faithful out of their apostate churches who refuse to keep the Lord's Sabbath.