SDA Sabbath School Lesson 10- 2nd Quarter 2025-In the Psalms: The Ends Have Come

[Richard Myers]

2nd Quarter        Lesson 10                                                                                                                                                              May 31-June 6                                                                                                                                 

 
Upon Whom the Ends Are Come. 

Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 6:12-17; Matt. 24:36-44; Gen. 6:1-8; 2 Pet. 2:4-11; Gen. 18:17-32; Dan. 7:9-10

Memory Text: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:11-12

The Bible is filled with accounts of God’s people that point to future events and that hold keys to helping us understand “present truth.” In fact, some of those accounts foreshadow last-day events with surprising detail, providing us a broader foundation for understanding the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation clearly.

Without violating an individual’s freedom of conscience, God can perfectly steer the events that will happen in the last days, events that He revealed to the prophets. Some of these important stories are obvious, because the New Testament refers to them specifically in describing last-day events: Sodom and Gomorrah, the Flood, etc. Others require careful thought and exploration in order to mine from them the truths that have been given us in the Word of God.

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be searching through a number of key stories in order to see what they might have to say about events such as the Second Coming, the investigative judgment, the final crisis, and more. And, through it all, we find Christ as the center, for He must be the foundation as well as the end goal of all our prophetic endeavors.

Amen!!  All Scripture is given that we might know God. Prophecies fulfilled and prophecies yet to be fulfilled with increase faith in the Bible and its Author. We are given the joy of telling the world what is about to happen!

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, June 7.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday         June 1
The Wrath of the Lamb

Read Revelation 6:12-17.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Consider the details of these people’s response to seeing last-day events suddenly play out. What do you notice about their response?

It is interesting to note that the lost are not crying out, “What is this?” or “Who is behind this?” They appear to know what is happening. They refer to Jesus as “the Lamb,” which would require knowing something of the story of Christ. They also seem aware that “the great day of His wrath has come,” and that they are caught in a hopeless position: “Who is able to stand?”

Those who love the Lord our  God with all of the heart.

Prior to the end, the gospel is carried to every nation on earth (Matt. 24:14), and the three angels’ messages are delivered to the entire planet. And yet, there will be people who are caught off guard—not for lack of information but because of their refusal to believe and to obey. This will be the reason that such people are lost in the last days.

Read Matthew 24:36-44. What lessons does Jesus tell us we should be drawing from the story of Noah?

Jesus points to the story of the Flood to warn us that His second coming will come as a surprise to many. As with the Second Coming, the Flood did not come as a surprise to the world because of a lack of information. Noah preached for 120 years to a world that refused to believe. They were told what was going to happen. They just didn’t believe.

Meanwhile, many people assure themselves that the passage of long periods of time means that the prophecies are false. Using the Flood story as context, Peter writes “that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation’ ” (2 Pet. 3:3-4, NKJV). As each year passes, this sentiment will only grow.

In each person’s own experience, the second coming of Jesus (or in some cases, the third coming) is never more than a moment after death, and we all know how quickly life goes by. How might this perspective help us deal with the “delay”?

Delay in that I might die before Jesus comes?  It would be an end to pain and suffering. Who fears death? Only those who do not trust God with all they have and all they are.

[Richard Myers]

Monday         June 2
Noah’s Evangelism

Peter reminds us that many will be unprepared for Christ’s return because they “willfully forget” (2 Pet. 3:5, NKJV) what happened at the Flood. Today, even though the world has a collective memory of a great deluge (an astonishing number of global cultures tell the story of a devastating flood, from the ancient Greeks to the Mayans), the story of Noah is today perhaps one of the most ridiculed of the Bible’s accounts. As predicted, the world is willfully setting the story aside as a myth, no matter how clearly and explicitly it is depicted in the Old Testament and referred to numerous times in the New Testament.

And how scientists are now finding that much of the  Earth we see today went through giant floods. Amazing!! They still reject the Bible's account.

Jesus said that the world situation would resemble “the days of Noah” in Matthew 24:37-39. Compare this passage with Genesis 6:1-8. What were the moral conditions that led to the Flood? What parallels exist between the two times?

Man was continually evil. The older they got the more wicked they became. We see the same today. Jesus is even at the doors.

There is another important lesson for God’s last-day remnant people that emerges from careful study. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah “prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (NKJV).

Imagine preaching for more than a century, with nothing to show for it but your own family in the ark. If Noah had been a modern evangelist, we might be tempted to write him off as a failure: decades of preaching and what would appear to be no results.

There were most likely many who were saved but died prior to the flood.

Fortunately, at the moment, many parts of the world are very responsive to the three angels’ messages. Evangelistic outreach—the preaching of our unique remnant message—is proving incredibly effective in many places, and many are coming to know the Lord. We have not yet reached the point where there are no results, although we have been told the moment is coming when “probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut. Thus in the one short sentence, ‘They that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour's final ministration, to the time when the great work for man’s salvation shall be completed.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 428.

Until then, we have a work to do as a church.

How can we learn not to get discouraged if our personal evangelistic efforts don’t seem to be bearing much fruit for the moment? Why must we continue our efforts? (See John 4:37.)

Some plant seed, others do the harvesting. We are to leave this up to God. We must not only share truth, we must live the truth that we be witnesses of God's amazing grace and power.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday         June 3
The Story of Sodom and Gomorrah

There is another key Old Testament story to which Peter makes direct reference when describing last-day events: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities of the plain were legendary for their wickedness and became the first example of population centers destroyed by fire from heaven.

Read 2 Peter 2:4-11, Jude 5-8, and Ezekiel 16:46-50—and note all of the details. What were the moral conditions that led to the destruction of these cities, and what parallels exist today, as well?

The warning offered to the last-day people of this planet through the account of Sodom and Gomorrah is plain: eventually, the wicked will also be destroyed by fire, as described so clearly in Revelation 20. Sin is remarkably deceptive in that it blinds us to the state of our own hearts, veiling our transgressions under a layer of self-approval, while the wickedness perpetrated by others often remains obvious to us. In the same chapter where God talked about how much love He had poured upon His nation, He also has to warn the nation that, while it did not commit the very same sins (Ezek. 16:47), it has actually become more wicked than Sodom.

Israel had been “playing the harlot” (Ezek. 16:41), committing spiritual adultery. Imagine the surprise of God’s people when they heard that they were more wicked than people who were legendary for their wickedness.

This is nothing new, not just with ancient Israel but with all humanity. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul presents a long list of human evil that could have been written based off of today’s newspapers. Paul’s description of Gentile sin was not intended to create feelings of superiority among the Jews but so that God’s people finally could understand the seriousness of their own sins. Nathan did the same thing when he spoke to David: he told the story of a rich man who stole a lamb from a poor man. This story “greatly aroused” David’s anger (2 Sam. 12:5, NKJV), because the injustice seemed obvious; even then, it took Nathan’s declaration, “you are the man!” (2 Sam. 12:7, NKJV) to make David see himself in the story.

It is important to remember that the Bible is not primarily addressed to the outside world but to God’s own people. When we see the heinous sins of others described in a passage like Revelation 13 or Daniel 2, it is a warning that we, too, can fall into the same trap.

Amen! We are to learn from the experience of Israel that we not repeat their sins. We are those whom the ends of the world is come.

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday        June 4
The Judge of All the Earth

Just prior to the destruction of Sodom, there is a curious story that takes place on the plains of Mamre. God appears to Abraham, accompanied by two angels. When Abraham sees them, he invites the heavenly visitors to a meal, and it is at this point that God promises that Abraham and Sarah will have a son who would lead to the Messiah. Jesus, indeed, came from the line of Abraham (compare with Gal. 3:16). Then the story suddenly turns to the matter of the wicked cities of the plain.

Read Genesis 18:17-32. What do we learn about the character of God and the way He ultimately plans to deal with evil on our planet from these verses?

God does not owe us an explanation, but He chooses not to veil His motives and plans from the human race. “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing,” the prophet Amos tells us, “unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7, NKJV).

Before God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah, He declares that the only right thing to do is inform Abraham of what is about to happen, about what he can soon expect to be witnessing.

God lingers with Abraham while the two angels go to the wicked city to call out those who will heed their warning. One cannot help but think of the prophetic angels who perform the same task in the last days, calling those of God’s people who live in Babylon to come out of her (Rev. 14:6-12, Rev. 18:1-4). As the final warning is being issued, God discusses with Abraham what is about to happen, and He willingly subjects Himself to the patriarch’s questions. “ ‘Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked,’ ” Abraham asks, “ ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ ” (Gen. 18:25, NKJV). Abraham is not only examining the case of Sodom, but he is also examining the character of God. Likewise, before the end comes, God opens the books of heaven (Rev. 20:4-11-15) and allows us to investigate the evidence before He finally brings fire down on the earth. That is, we will have a thousand years to get a lot of questions answered that, for now, remain unanswered.

Before the Lord will bring down final judgment upon the lost, He gives us a thousand years to understand what will happen to whom and why. What does this tell us about His character and about how open He is to scrutiny by created beings—beings fully dependent upon Him for existence—and who have no inherent right to know these things?

God is perfect in all things. He loves us and will be just in punishing the wicked. It is a strange act for God to punish the  wicked, but justice demands it. We see this all though the life of His innocent Son. He suffered from day one. He had to suffer for each sin of every person. This is the justice by which we are offered eternal life in a world without sin. Since will will judge the wicked, we are given a long time to come to grips with why some we loved must suffer for their own sins because they rejected God offer of love.

[Richard Myers]

Thursday        June 5
The Pre-Advent Judgment

The description of judgment found in Daniel 7 gives us a glimpse behind the veil—to an awe-inspiring opportunity to see how God is resolving the problem of sin while still redeeming those who wish to live in a covenant relationship with Him.

Read the description of the investigative judgment provided in Daniel 7:9-10, 13, 14, 22, 26, and 27. What is the primary focus in the judgment?

The character of those written in the Book of Life.

What is the verdict rendered at the end of the process? What does this tell us about the plan of salvation?

He who was fully surrendered and whose character reflects Christ's character will remain written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Those with unconfessed sins, whose character does not reflect the image of God, will have their names blotted out.

There is little question that the human race is judged by God. Ecclesiastes 12:14 assures us that “God will bring every work into judgment” (NKJV), and Paul reminds us that we do not need to judge each other, because “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:10). God, of course, does not need records to know who is saved or lost, but angels who have been examining the plan of salvation all along (1 Pet. 1:12) would naturally have questions. They were witnesses to the rebellion of Satan and saw a third of heaven’s angels expelled from heaven (Rev. 12:4)—and now God is bringing us into His presence. God opens the books and allows the saints to see everything.

The story of Abraham’s pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah—a type of the judgment—offers us some important insight into judgment. The sins of Sodom were obviously being investigated; God mentions that the wickedness of the city had given it a reputation such that the outcry against it was great (Gen. 18:20). But it was not only Sodom and Gomorrah that were investigated prior to their destruction. God also opened the door for Abraham to study whether or not God was acting righteously in His decision to destroy the wicked.

Meanwhile, who appears amid the heavenly judgment, in Daniel 7, but “the Son of man,” Jesus (Dan. 7:13, see also Matt. 20:28), whose appearance is the only reason why this judgment is “made in favor of the saints of the Most High” (Dan. 7:22, NKJV). His perfect righteousness alone gets His people through judgment. 

It is true that only the grace of Christ can save sinners. His grace transforms sinners into saints. All who have been written into the Lamb's Book of Life will be judged in the Investigative Judgement. Why? Because some will be removed from the Book if they have not repented of every sin. The law of God is the standard in this judgement. God has played His part which is so large it cannot be measured. Our part is so small it cannot be measured. We must love the Lord our God with the whole heart. Then our works will be in harmony with the law of God. They are not "filthy garments." All who will enter heaven will reflect the character of God. Yes, it is a very narrow and steep road to heaven, but all may get there if they will learn of Him who gave all that we might live.

An important verse reveals that books of heaven reveal all of our good deeds, bad deeds, thoughts, words, and motives (Dan 7:10). " the judgment was set, and the books were opened.  If the standard is not met, the imputed righteousness of Christ will not cover unconfessed and unforsaken sins. Then the sins will not be blotted out, but the names will be blotted out the Lamb's Book of Life.

Imagine standing in judgment with all your secrets exposed before our holy God. What’s your only hope at that time of judgment? (See Friday.)\\

Our only hope is that the good motives which are written down will be the last before our name comes up. God looks upon the heart. If the heart was not pure and holy when one dies, then there is no hope for eternal life in a world without sin. Satan works hard to pervert many important truths. The Investigative Judgement is one subject he has spend much time in deceiving Seventh-day Adventists. Many have been taught they have nothing to fear, for Christ stands in their place, thus they are saved in sin. How very sad!

[Richard Myers]

Friday         June 6

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Flood,” pp. 101, 102, in Patriarchs and Prophets. “The high priest cannot defend himself or his people from Satan’s accusations. He does not claim that Israel is free from fault. In filthy garments, symbolizing the sins of the people, which he bears as their representative, he stands before the Angel, confessing their guilt, yet pointing to their repentance and humiliation, and relying upon the mercy of a sin-pardoning Redeemer. In faith he claims the promises of God. . . . “Satan’s accusations against those who seek the Lord are not prompted by displeasure at their sins. He exults in their defective characters; for he knows that only through their transgression of God’s law can he obtain power over them. His accusations arise solely from his enmity to Christ. Through the plan of salvation, Jesus is breaking Satan’s hold upon the human family and rescuing souls from his power. . . . “In his own strength, man cannot meet the charges of the enemy. In sin-stained garments, confessing his guilt, he stands before God. But Jesus, our Advocate, presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him. He pleads their cause, and by the mighty arguments of Calvary, vanquishes their accuser. His perfect obedience to God’s law has given Him all power in heaven and in earth, and He claims from His Father mercy and reconciliation for guilty man.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, pp. 583-586.

Do not skim over this statement. Notice that it is those who "pointing to their repentance" will be found worthy of heaven. And again " Jesus, our Advocate, presents an effectual plea in behalf of all who by repentance and faith have committed the keeping of their souls to Him.

Discussion Questions:

    Jesus told His disciples that they were in the world, but not of the world. (See John 15:19, John 17:14-16.) How do we balance our responsibility to win the world with the need to keep ourselves “unspotted from the world”? (James 1:27).

It is not a matter of balance, but of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Only as we abide in Christ will we be "unspotted."  In the world seeking to save the lost. Not in the world, doing the things of the world. Perfect in doing one and perfect in not doing the other.
   
What does Noah’s public ministry prior to the Flood teach us about how the great controversy works? In what ways do we play the same role today?

Noah's ministry appears to have failed since only seven entered the ark with him. But, that does not take into those who were saved before the flood came. We, like Noah, are to give the last warning message to a world soon to perish. There is a great multitude seeking truth, truth we have been entrusted with. Like never before we have a great opportunity to be blessed as we bless others. How many contacts do you make each week? Your community is your responsibility. Take time to find those who are seeking truth. There are two groups being formed in the church and in the world. Those who love the truth and those who do not.
   
Prior to devouring the wicked with fire from heaven (as He did with Sodom), God raises them from the dead and allows Satan to work with them for a short while (Rev. 20:7-9). What reasons can you think of that this would be a necessary last step before God sets everything right?

Even though every tongue confessed Christ and every knee bowed down, characters were not changed. Their evil character is seen in the last display of rebellion against God and His children.
   
As you consider the stories we studied this week, what cautions do you find for your own life? What do these stories teach you about your hope in Christ?

God is love and justice. Both are seen at the cross. Love and mercy for all who love the Lord our God with the whole heart. Justice will be done for all who rejected God's love. Each will be thrown into the Lake of Fire that they receive for every sin done in the flesh. Satan will burn the longest. This is perfect justice.