Title: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

ADULT SABBATH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

TEACHERS EDITION

Final Publication Copy

Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible

Prophecy

by: Shawn Boonstra

April, May, June

2025

TE-2Q-2025, Allusions, Images, Symbols, by Shawn Boonstra

Contents: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

Contents
_______________________
1 Some Principles of Prophecy—March 29-April 4 .....................13

2 The Genesis Foundation—April 5-11 ................................26

3 Images From Marriage—April 12-18 .................................36

4 The Nations: Part 1—April 19-25 ..................................46

5 The Nations: Part 2—April 26-May 2 ...............................56

6 Understanding Sacrifice—May 3-9 ..................................66

7 Foundations for Prophecy—May 10-16 ...............................75

8 In the Psalms: Part 1—May 17-23 ..................................85

9 In the Psalms: Part 2—May 24-30 ..................................95

10 Upon Whom the Ends Have Come—May 31-June 6 ......................105

11 Ruth and Esther—June 7-13 .......................................115

12 Precursors—June 14-20 ...........................................125

13 Images of the End—June 21-27 ....................................135

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Contents: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

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Contents: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

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The Overview, Commentary, and Life Application, Lessons 1-

13: Jacques Doukhan, PhD, senior research professor of

Hebrew and Old Testament Exegesis; Seventh-day Adventist

Theological Seminary, Andrews University, Berrien Springs,

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Contents: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

MI, United States; general editor, The Seventh-day

Adventist International Bible Commentary.

© 2025 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. All

rights reserved. No part of the Adult Sabbath School Bible

Study Guide (Teachers Edition) may be edited, altered,

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from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. The

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“Seventh-day Adventist,” “Adventist,” and the flame logo

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Seventh-day Adventists® and may not be used without prior

authorization from the General Conference.

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Contents: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is prepared by

the Office of the Adult Bible Study Guide of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. The preparation of
the guides is under the general direction of the Sabbath
School Publications Board, a subcommittee of the General
Conference Administrative Committee (ADCOM), publisher of
the Bible study guides. The published guide reflects the
input of a worldwide evaluation committee and the approval
of the Sabbath School Publications Board and thus does not
solely or necessarily represent the intent of the
author(s).

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Introduction: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

Bible Versions Table

Scripture references other than from the King James

Version quoted by permission in this Bible Study Guide, for

Teachers Edition Second Quarter 2025, are as follows:

CEV. Contemporary English Version®, Copyright © 1995

by the American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

ESV. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy

Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001

by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

MEV. Scripture quotations marked MEV are from the

Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible

Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NKJV. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from

the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas

Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

NIV. The Holy Bible, New International Version®,

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,

Incorporated®. Used by permission. All rights reserved

worldwide.

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Introduction: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

Precursors for Prophecy

During the First Gulf War (1991), a well-known

Protestant writer and speaker was convinced that the book

of Revelation predicted this conflict. His argument was

based on the fact that some of the helicopters in the war

looked like the locusts depicted in Revelation 9. “And he

opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit

like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air

were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. Then out of

the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was

given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power”

(Rev. 9:2, 3, NKJV).

Not exactly the best way to interpret biblical

prophecy, is it? Yet, interpretations like this are fairly

common. In fact, over the decades multiple books, articles,

videos, and now websites, all dedicated to prophecy, have

made many predictions, including date setting about final

events—usually centered around wars or turmoil in the

Middle East.

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Introduction: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

And, surprise of surprises, in every case those

predictions have not come true.

As Seventh-day Adventists, we take a different

approach, a Christ-centered approach, in which the focus of

prophecy is no longer on a single geographic location in

the Middle East and whatever military conflicts unfold

there. Instead, we view the prophecies through the lens of

the great controversy between Christ and Satan—a worldwide

spiritual struggle that will climax when God’s people, Jew

and Gentile (see Rev. 12:17, Rev. 14:12), face the final

crisis, which centers around worshiping the Creator (see

Rev. 14:7), as opposed to the beast and his image.

A key element in understanding these last-day

prophecies is Daniel 2, which contains not only the

historical outline of the prophecies but the interpretive

key to unlocking their meanings, as well.

Daniel 2 depicts four world empires—Babylon, Media-

Persia, Greece, Rome—followed by God’s establishing His

eternal kingdom, “ ‘which shall never be destroyed; and the

kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break

in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall

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Introduction: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

stand forever ’ ” (Dan. 2:44, NKJV). The parallel

prophecies in Daniel 7 and 8 contain this same basic

outline, that of these worldly empires arising and

vanishing until God’s kingdom is forever established.

In Daniel 7, the angel interpreter sets it all out for

us: “ ‘ “Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings

which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most

High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom

forever, even forever and ever” ’ ” (Dan. 7:17, 18, NKJV).

Four worldly empires (Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece,

and Rome) move in an unbroken succession through history

until, after the second coming of Jesus, God establishes

His eternal one.

Of course, we are still here, in the time of the

division of Rome, the fourth and final earthly kingdom

before Christ returns.

With this historical perspective as the foundation for

understanding prophecy, we are going to study this quarter

the theme of how to interpret Bible prophecy, specifically

some of the allusions, stories, images, and metaphors that

unlock prophetic truth and final events.

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Introduction: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

We go from the Genesis Creation account—important for

understanding not only prophecy but for what follows,

especially the cross and the atoning death of Jesus—to the

tower of Babel, to the sanctuary service, to the Psalms,

even to some Old Testament marriages. In all these, and

more, we can find images, symbols, and metaphors that, when

studied prayerfully and with a humble, submissive spirit

(if you go to the Bible with a rebellious heart, you are

wasting your time), will help make end-time prophecies,

specifically in Revelation, come alive.

One quarter is certainly not enough even to begin to

study all the stories and images that help unlock prophetic

truth. Who knows—we might need eternity for that! Until

then, by God’s grace, we will study what we can.

Shawn Boonstra is speaker/director for the Voice of

Prophecy ministry. His broadcasts and books have been a

source of inspiration around the globe, and over the years,

his live evangelistic events have been presented on every

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Introduction: Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy

continent except Antarctica.

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 Lesson 1

Key Text: Jeremiah 9:24

Study Focus: 2 Tim. 3:15-17.

Part I: Overview

At the beginning of his Bible classes each semester, a

seminary professor engaged his students with a simple, yet

challenging, question: “What is the most important tool you

have to help you understand the Bible?” The students

offered what they considered were the best answers: “Bible

dictionaries,” “prayer,” “the Holy Spirit,” “biblical

languages” (Hebrew, Greek), “Bible software,” etc. After

listening to all their answers, the professor informed them

that, while all these things were, indeed, undoubtedly

helpful, there was one tool that they did not mention,

which was, besides prayer and the Holy Spirit, their most

important resource of all: time.

Undeniably, one of the most important tools needed

when approaching the Scriptures is the one tool of which,

all too often it would seem, we have the least: time. Once

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 Lesson 1

we are ready and willing to invest time in the enterprise

of studying the Bible, we are then led to consider the

following question: How do we read the Bible? That is, what

are the principles that should guide us on the path of

searching and understanding this particular Book?

Lesson Themes: This week, we will examine ten principles

for reading the biblical text of prophecy. The first five

reading principles will focus on the text itself: reading

it candidly (as a new text), reading it carefully (as an

important text), reading it esthetically (as a beautiful

text), reading it contextually (within its biblical

setting), and reading it intertextually (in light of other

biblical passages).

The next five reading principles will focus on our

response to the text to ensure that we are listening to the

Word of God: the principle of reading the text spiritually

(as an inspired text), reading it intelligently (as a

difficult text), reading it corporately (as a text for the

community), reading it existentially (as a text that

engages our life), and reading it ethically (for a

responsible interpretation).

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 Lesson 1

Part II: Commentary

Attention to the Text

The biblical text is the basis of any discussion on Bible

prophecy. The reader’s first intention, therefore, should

be to read the biblical text of prophecy with a searching

mind.

1. Reading Candidly. Read the text as if it were a new

text that you do not understand. It is interesting

that Daniel himself began to understand his prophecy,

in Daniel 9:2, only after he recognized that he did

not understand it: “it was beyond understanding” (Dan.

8:27, NIV). Humans, the Bible tells us, are naturally

in “darkness” (John l:5, NKJV). Indeed, the most

common temptation when we approach Bible prophecy is

to believe that we understand its message, even before

having read the text. Thus, we impose our thought onto

the text (eisegesis), instead of permitting the text

to speak for itself (exegesis). This is the case when

we read Bible prophecy from the point of view of our

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 Lesson 1

own reasoning or in the light of events that happen in

our time.

2. Reading Carefully. Bible prophecy contains important

information about the fate of the world, and vital

truths of salvation (2 Tim. 3:15-17). The Bible

prophets carefully chose their words and forms of

expression to convey their inspired vision. Therefore,

read the text slowly, paying close attention to its

words. Read it several times to ensure that nothing is

missed in the reading of the text. Thus, “we shall

find living springs bubbling up where the careless

reader discerns only a desert.”—Ellen G. White,

Education, p. 191. It is preferable to recognize that

you do not understand something than to content

yourself with a shallow or false understanding of a

text.

3. Reading Esthetically. The literary forms of the text

(its structure, its parallelisms) will aid in

deciphering the message of prophecy. Daniel’s prophecy

of the image in Daniel 2 is clarified by its parallel

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 Lesson 1

with Daniel’s prophecy of the four beasts in Daniel 7.

There are also parallels between prophecies in the

book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. See the

following chart in which the apocalyptic vision in

Revelation 13-14 parallels, in many respects, the

prophecy of Daniel 7, which also parallels the

prophecy of Daniel 8, as follows:

Daniel 7 Revelation 13-14

Beasts from the sea (Dan. 7:1-3) Beast from the sea (Rev. 13:1a)

Lion (Dan. 7:4) Beast with 10 horns (Rev. 13:1b)

Bear (Dan. 7:5) Leopard (Rev. 13:2a)

Leopard (Dan. 7:6) Bear (Rev. 13:2b)

Beast with 10 horns (Dan. 7:7) Lion (Rev. 13:2c)

Usurping power—The Little Horn Usurping Power—The Beast

(Dan. 7:8) From the Sea (Rev. 13:3-18)

Day of Atonement Three Angels’ Messages

(Dan. 7:9-12/Dan. 8:14) (Rev. 14:1-13)

Son of Man (Dan. 7:13, 14) Son of Man (Rev. 14:14–16)

The present parallels show that the heavenly Day of

Atonement/Day of Judgment, in Daniel 7 and 8,

corresponds to, and is contemporaneous with, the

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 Lesson 1

earthly proclamation of the three angels’ messages, in

Revelation 14.

4. Reading Contextually. In its historical context, the

event of the military encounter between the northern

Babylonian army and the southern Egyptian army in

Carchemish (compare Dan. 1:1 with Jer. 46:2) will be

used by the prophet Daniel as a template for his

prophecy of the eschatological wars between the king

of the north and the king of the south, in chapter 11.

In its literary context, the fact that Daniel 7 is

written in Aramaic, the lingua franca of that time,

while Daniel 8 is written in Hebrew, the language of

Israel, indicates that the prophecy of Daniel 7

focuses on the kingdoms of the earth and has universal

impact, while the prophecy of Daniel 8 focuses on

God’s people and has a spiritual impact.

5. Reading Intertextually. Given that the prophetic text

is its own interpreter, it is necessary to search for

the meaning of the text primarily from within the text

itself. This approach is also rooted in the fundamental

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 Lesson 1

principle that was laid down by Ellen G. White in echo

of the Reformer Martin Luther: “Scripture interprets

Scripture, one passage being the key to other

passages.”—Evangelism, p. 581. For instance, the

association of the ram and the goat, in Daniel 8, in

addition to its many linguistic links with Leviticus

16, suggests that the prophecy of Daniel 8 refers to

the Day of Atonement.

Focusing on One’s Personal Response

The quality of one’s study of prophecy depends also upon

the mind of the person who approaches the text.

1. Reading Spiritually. The Holy Scriptures are inspired

by God. It is, therefore, logical that, in order to

fully and truly apprehend a particular text, a

spiritual factor must be involved. For such things

must be “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14, NKJV).

Practically, this idea means that faith and prayer

constitute important factors in the success of the

exegetical operation. Prayer will bring God’s

assistance to one’s study. Having faith that God

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 Lesson 1

inspired the biblical text of prophecy, and believing

that prophecy will be fulfilled, will impart to the

mind the capacity to see its fulfillment where others

will see nothing.

2. Reading Intelligently. The task of understanding the

inspired text requires diligence and painstaking

effort on our part. Ecclesiastes has called this

effort “a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!”

(Eccles. 1:13, NIV). The verb “understand” is a keyword

in the book of Daniel (appearing 15 times). For “ ‘let

him who glories glory in this, that he understands and

knows Me’ ” (Jer. 9:24, NKJV). In other words, knowing

God is the ultimate goal of wisdom.

3. Reading Corporately. Just as the biblical text of

prophecy has come to us through the testimony of the

community of God’s people, such prophecy is likewise

destined for the community of God’s people. Although

the study of the Word of God does not exclude the

creative contribution of the individual, it involves

other brothers and sisters in faith, as well. When God

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 Lesson 1

speaks, He generally addresses His people as a worship

community: “ ‘Hear, O Israel’ ” (Deut. 6:4). Daniel

predicts that, at the end of time, “ ‘many’ ” (that

is, God’s people, the “ ‘wise’ ”)

“ ‘shall understand’ ” (Dan. 12:10, NKJV).

4. Reading Existentially. Unless the Scriptures change us

and affect our life, we will not understand them. To

illustrate this point, we would do well to consider a

story about a European tourist in Africa who mocked

his African servant because he was reading the Bible:

“Why do you read the Bible?” The tourist then added,

“This is just a bunch of fairy tales.” The African

servant responded: “If I had not read the Bible, I

would have already eaten you.” This lesson contains an

important principle about the powerful effect of the

Word of God, which is compared to “any two-edged

sword” (Heb. 4:12, NKJV). Thus, the prophetic Word of

God is such that it may not only cut sharply through

the sins of our enemies and oppressors, but it also

may speak or testify

“ ‘against’ ” us (Jer. 28:8, NKJV).

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 Lesson 1

5. Reading Ethically. Sad to say, Bible prophecies often

have been used to support human iniquity. Racist

theories, which promoted the idea of the superiority

of the white race over the black race in order to

justify apartheid and slavery, were founded on a

distorted understanding of the prophecy of Genesis

9:25. Antisemitism, which led to pogroms and the

Crusades and played a significant role in the murder

of six million Jews, was based on and nurtured by a

misinterpretation of biblical prophecies (Dan. 9:24).

Throughout history, the abuses and crimes perpetrated

against women within the private circles of families

were often justified by the reference to the prophecy

of Genesis 3:16. As we study God’s prophetic Word this

quarter, let us permit inspired Scripture to take

complete control of our minds and of our hearts, for

the purpose of imparting “instruction in

righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).

Part III: Application

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 Lesson 1

Apply the lessons of this week to the questions below,

focusing on 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

Attention to the Text:

1. What are the keywords of 2 Timothy 3:15-17?

2. Discuss and reflect on the importance of the following

words: “Scriptures,” “wise,” “given,” “complete.”

3. Why does the study of Scripture inspire creative

thinking?

4. What is the structure of this text?

5. What is the context of this passage?

6. Find two other biblical texts with the same theme.

For example, Psalm 119:97-104 and John 5:39. Identify

the parallels between these texts and compare and

contrast their themes. How are they the same or

different?

Focusing on Your Personal Response:

1. Which words in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 refer to the

importance, and necessity, of approaching the study of

Scripture with an attitude of reverence? For example,

reflect upon, and discuss, the following words: “Holy

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 Lesson 1

Scripture” (implies the need for a spiritual

approach), “given” (gift from God), “inspiration”

(work from the Holy Spirit).

2. Which words in the text refer to the need to read

intelligently? For example, reflect upon and discuss

the following words: “know” (cognitive function;

information to learn), “wise” (exercise of thinking),

“instruction” (ability to receive directions and learn

new lessons).

3. Which words refer to the need for corporate reading?

For example, reflect upon and discuss the following

words: “from childhood” (involvement of parents),

“correction” (involvement of parents and teachers),

“good work” (something done on behalf of people in

need).

4. Which words refer to the need for the application of

the text in one’s personal life? For example, reflect

upon and discuss the following words: “make you wise”

(hones one’s sense of discernment and personal

judgment). Which words refer to the need for ethical

sensitivity? For example, reflect upon and discuss the

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 Lesson 1

following words: “in righteousness” (develops the

capacity to discern what is right).

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 Lesson 2

Key Text: John 1:29

Study Focus: Gen. 22:1-18, John 3:16.

Part I: Overview

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, contains foundational

truths that encompass the core of Scripture’s salvific and

prophetic message. From the cosmic story of Creation

(Genesis 1-2), in which God turned the chaos and void into

life, to the story of Joseph, in which God wrought a

redemptive outcome from evil actions (Gen. 50:20), the book

of Genesis testifies to God’s plan of salvation. In the

middle of the book of Genesis, the story of the binding of

Isaac (Gen. 22:1-18) lays down the basic themes of this

divine plan.

In this week’s lesson, we will discover the various

themes of God’s plan of salvation as they emerge from the

dramatic story of the Akedah (“binding of Isaac”). The

first theme is “love,” from which derives all the rest of

God’s actions.

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 Lesson 2

In this story, the Hebrew word ’ahab, “love,” is used

for the first time in the Bible, specifically, in God’s

speech referring to a father’s love (Gen. 22:2).

The second theme of the Akedah is the expression of

God’s love through the sacrifice of His Son, which is

foreshadowed by Isaac in his identification with the lamb

(Gen. 22:7-10). The third theme is the actual manifestation

of God’s love in history, specifically, in the great

conflict that will put the “seed” in opposition to the

serpent and will end with the victory of the “seed” over

evil and death. This event is profiled in the unexpected

appearance of the “ram” (Gen. 22:13), which prefigures the

eschatological event of the Day of Atonement.

Part II: Commentary

The Love of God

It is impossible to understand God’s love, because it is

impossible to “comprehend . . . what is the width and

length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ

which passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:18, 19, NKJV). The fact

that the verb ’ahab, “love,” appears for the first time in

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 Lesson 2

the Scriptures in reference to a father’s love—Abraham’s

love for Isaac, his “only son” (Gen. 22:2)—is, however,

significant. It is in the particular context of Abraham’s

love for his unique son that the quality of Abraham’s love

for God was to be “tested” and thus revealed (Gen. 22:1,

NKJV; compare with Gen. 22:12).

But it was not just Abraham’s love for God that was to

be tested and revealed. During Abraham’s personal

experience, God’s love also was revealed to Abraham.

Abraham understood, then, the depth of God’s love. As Ellen

G. White explains: “It was to impress Abraham’s mind with

the reality of the gospel, as well as to test his faith,

that God commanded him to slay his son. The agony which he

endured during the dark days of that fearful trial was

permitted that he might understand from his own experience

something of the greatness of the sacrifice made by the

infinite God for man’s redemption. . . . What stronger

proof can be given of the infinite compassion and love of

God?”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 154, emphasis supplied.

God did not give Abraham a philosophical, theological,

or a psychological explanation of His love. God chose to

permit Abraham to endure (on his finite level) what God was

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 Lesson 2

to endure (on His “infinite” level). This parallel between

Abraham, who offered his “only son,” whom he loved, and

God, who offered His only Son, whom He, “ ‘the Father

loves’ ” (John 5:20, NKJV), is endorsed by John who uses

the same language (intertextuality) in his definition of

“love”: “ ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only

begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not

perish but have everlasting life’ ” (John 3:16, NKJV;

compare with 1 John 4:9, NKJV).

The Lamb of God

The title “lamb of God” is used by John to identify Jesus:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,

‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the

world!’ ” (John 1:29, NKJV, compare with John 1:36). It is

interesting and significant that the reference to a “lamb”

appears for the first time in the Scriptures in the context

of the story of the binding of Isaac to refer to the

sacrifice of “a burnt offering” (Gen. 22:7). It is,

however, not the first time that a lamb is used as a

sacrifice. Abel must have offered a lamb for burnt

offerings (Gen. 4:4, NKJV; compare with Num. 18:17). But it

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 Lesson 2

is the first time that the word śê, “lamb,” is explicitly

mentioned. It is also the only passage of the Hebrew Bible

in which the word śê, “lamb,” is definite. All other

scripture passages that contain this word use it in an

indefinite sense. This unique case testifies to a special

and unique application. Isaac (with Abraham) refers to a

unique lamb that transcends all the others.

The fact that the word “lamb” is used by John in his

Gospel (John 1:29, 36), and especially in his apocalypse

(23 times), in the definite sense as “the lamb,” suggests

that John is alluding to “the lamb” of Isaac’s question,

“ ‘Where is the lamb?’ ” (Gen. 22:7). This intertextual

relation allows us to surmise that “the lamb” of Isaac

refers to the Son of God, as understood by John. This

interpretation is, in fact, confirmed in Abraham’s response

to Isaac’s question: “ ‘God will provide for Himself the

lamb for a burnt offering’ ” (Gen. 22:8, NKJV).

The construction of the opening phrase of Abraham’s

statement in Genesis 22:8 is particularly telling. First,

though Hebrew typically puts the verb first, followed by

the subject, here the word “God” is put in the beginning of

the sentence before the verbal form to emphasize the fact

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 Lesson 2

that the solution is only in God. It is God who will see.

Second, this opening phrase of Genesis 22:8 has the same

reflexive construction as the phrase lek leka, “go

yourself,” which introduced God’s call (Gen. 22:2; compare

with Gen. 12:1, author’s literal translation). In that

case, the phrase in Genesis 22:8 could be translated as

follows: “God will see Himself as the lamb” (apposition),

which means that God will provide Himself as the lamb. As

such, the lamb is identified as God. Thus, the lamb that is

referred to here is not merely the physical animal that

Isaac had in mind; it is God Himself.

The Victory of God

Isaac expected a lamb to be provided by God. Yet, a ram

appeared instead: “Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and

there . . . was a ram” (Gen. 22:13, NKJV). The appearance

of the ram points to the ram of the Day of Atonement (Lev.

16:3, 6). There is indeed a unique intertextual connection

between this passage of the sacrifice of Isaac and the text

of the Day of Atonement. More than any other biblical

passage, the text of the binding of Isaac shares common

language with the text of the Day of Atonement. We find the

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 Lesson 2

same association of the words ‘olah, “burnt offering” (Gen.

22:13; compare with Lev. 16:3, 5, NKJV); ra’ah, “appear,”

in the same passive form niphal (Gen. 22:14; compare with

Lev. 16:2, NKJV); and yiqqakh “he took” (Gen. 22:13;

compare with Lev. 16:5, NKJV). This important intertextual

connection between the two passages indicates that the

writer of the legislation of the Day of Atonement, in

Leviticus 16, had the text of the sacrifice of Isaac in

mind.

On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the text of

the binding of Isaac is also present in the text of Daniel

8, which is a prophecy precisely concerning the

eschatological Day of Atonement. The first line introducing

Daniel’s vision—“I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a

ram” (verse 3, ESV), clearly alludes to the text of the

sacrifice of Isaac, given that Daniel’s phrase is a

quotation of Genesis 22:13. This allusion to the text of the

sacrifice of Isaac is further reinforced by the important

intertextual connections between Leviticus 16 and Daniel 8

(see especially the common usage of the verb ra’ah, “saw,”

a keyword in both passages.) In light of Daniel 8, we

understand, then, that the ram in the story of the Akedah

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 Lesson 2

points typologically to the eschatological Day of

Atonement.

This cosmic perspective is indeed confirmed in the

divine blessing that concludes the text of the Akedah (Gen.

22:17). God’s promised blessing concerns not only the

future descendants of Abraham himself, but also concerns

the future of the nations. The Lord promises that Abraham’s

seed will “possess the gate of their enemies” (NKJV). This

promise refers to the victory of Christ over the serpent

and the victory of life over death, which is predicted in

Genesis 3:15. The story of the binding of Isaac leads,

then, to the ultimate atonement for God’s people during the

eschatological Day of Atonement (compare with Dan. 8:14).

This lesson seems to have been retained in the epistle to

the Hebrews, which applies the concluding blessing of the

Akedah (Heb. 6:14) to the extraordinary moment of the Day

of Atonement during which the High Priest could penetrate

“behind the veil” (Heb. 6:19; compare with Lev. 16:2, 15,

NKJV).

Part III: Life Application

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 Lesson 2

Read the following comments on the silences and questions

between Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22:6-8. What spiritual

lessons do these silences and questions teach us?

Genesis 22:6: “The two of them went together” (NKJV).

The phrase occurs twice (Gen. 22:6, 8) and sounds tragic,

emphasizing the silent walk of father and son.

Genesis 22:7, 8: But Isaac spoke. In Genesis 22:7, 8,

the silence is eventually broken by Isaac’s voice. His

dialogue in these two verses constitutes the first and only

time that Isaac speaks in this story:

“And [Isaac] said, ‘My father!’ ” (Gen. 22:7, NKJV).

When Isaac speaks for the first time, he initially utters

one Hebrew word ’abi, “my father!” which reminds us of his

relationship with Abraham, who is preparing for the

slaughter.

“And he [Abraham] said, ‘Here I am, my son’ ” (Gen.

22:7, NKJV). The words “my son” (beni), correspond to the

words “my father” (’abi). In spite of the killing agenda,

the father loves his son, and the intensity of that love

for his only son makes the sacrifice all the more painful

(compare with John 5:20).

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“Then he [Isaac] said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood,

but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ ” (Gen.

22:7, MEV). This question is another way of referring to

the unspeakable reality, without having to explicitly

state: “Am I the lamb?”

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 Lesson 3

Key Text: Revelation 19:9

Study Focus: Gen. 2:18-23, Ezek. 16:3-32.

Part I: Overview

In the literary structure of the Genesis Creation

account, the institution of marriage, which appears in the

seventh section of Genesis 2:21-24, parallels the

institution of the Sabbath, which appears on the seventh

day, in Genesis 2:1-3. This numerological parallel

highlights a lesson of high significance: the relationship

between God and the human family is to be understood in

light of the sacrament of marriage.

The marital trope will be repeated in the early steps

of the people of Israel at the time of the Exodus. The

motif of jealousy, often associated with the motif of

marital adultery, is found, for instance, in the covenant

document of the Decalogue (Exod. 20:5; compare with Num.

25:1; Deut. 4:23, 24). The covenant between God and His

people is thus understood in conjugal terms. God “loves”

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His people (Deut. 7:8, NKJV), and Israel is supposed to

“love” God in return (Deut. 6:5). The Hebrew word yada‘,

“to know,” that describes the sexual, intimate, and

personal relationship between husband and wife (Gen. 4:1,

Gen. 19:8, NKJV), is used to refer to the relationship

between God and His people (Ps. 16:11; Jer. 2:2, 3; Ezek.

16:3-32).

For these reasons, it is imperative to study the

biblical dimensions of the conjugal relation in order to

better understand the significance of the conjugal

metaphor.

Part II: Commentary

Let us first look at the biblical model of marriage as

exemplified by the union of two couples in the book of

Genesis: Adam and Eve, and Isaac and Rebekah. Subsequently,

we shall examine the conjugal symbolism in its prophetic

applications: namely, how the “harlot” and the “bride”

tropes illustrate, respectively, the failure and the

success of God’s relationship with fallen humanity.

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Adam and Eve

According to the biblical record, the institution of

marriage took place in the Garden of Eden, on the first day

of human history (Gen. 1:26, 27; Gen. 2:18, 20-23). It is,

then, expected that these ancient, inspired texts of

Genesis contain the foundational principles of marriage and

are, therefore, useful in our inquiry.

“In the image of God” (Gen. 1:27, NKJV). It is

interesting that the regular plural is used to describe

God’s initiative to create the human couple: the plural of

the verb na‘aseh, “let us make” (Gen. 1:26), refers to the

interrelationship existing within the Godhead. The fact

that God created the couple “in His own image” (Gen. 1:27)

implies that, as a couple, Adam and Eve must reflect the

model of the divine interrelationship. This parallel should

not, however, be taken literally to mean, for instance,

that there is sexual relationship or hierarchy within the

Godhead. The idea is simply that, just as there is love and

unity between the Three Persons of the Godhead, there

should be love and unity between the man and the woman (see

Gen. 2:24; John 15:9, 12, 17; Eph. 4:1-6).

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“ ‘A helper comparable to him’ ” (Gen. 2:18, NKJV).

The word ‘ezer, “helper,” is generally used to refer to

God’s act of salvation (Exod. 18:4, Ps. 33:20, etc.). The

word kenegdo, “comparable to him,” means literally “like”

(ke) and “before each other” (negdo). The couple is thus

described as being “like” each other and “before each

other.”

The reciprocal dynamic that exists between the man and

the woman in Creation and after the Fall serves also as a

figure to signify the covenant between God and His people

(compare Song of Sol. 6:3, Gen. 3:16, Eph. 5:21-28).

Isaac and Rebekah

The story of the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah is recorded

in Genesis 24, the longest chapter of Genesis. This story

contains a lesson about God’s presence. The LORD (YHWH), who

never speaks in this chapter, is, however, mentioned 17

times. Another keyword of the chapter is the verb “go”

(halak), which also occurs 17 times, seven of which are

related to Rebekah. The word “go” is the verb that

initiated Abraham’s journey in response to God’s call (Gen.

12:1, 4). Rebekah is thus understood as a second Abraham.

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The general idea of this chapter is that marriage is the

place of God’s presence, the place of God’s salvation. The

marriage of Isaac and Rebekah displays, therefore, a number

of instructive elements that enlighten our understanding of

God’s covenant with His people.

God initiates the covenant. Just as Abraham

symbolically moved to the place of the future bride by

sending his servant Eliezer, God is the One who takes the

first move toward His people, His bride. Yet, God does not

force His covenant. In the same manner, Eliezer takes into

consideration the freedom of the bride, who may decide not

to follow him: “ ‘Perhaps the woman will not be willing to

follow me’ ” (Gen. 24:5, NKJV).

The bride’s response. Rebekah does not hesitate to

follow and responds with one word: ’elek, “ ‘I will go’ ”

(Gen. 24:58, NKJV), which marks the last occurrence of the

key verb halak (“go”) in connection with Rebekah. That

Rebekah is consulted is striking in her cultural context in

which the woman was not supposed to have a say in her

marriage. In this case, all depends on her “yes” or “no,”

as she has the last word in this matter. Moreover,

Rebekah’s response is the same as the response of the

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 Lesson 3

patriarch Abraham. The verbs echo the departure verb of

Abraham when he left Mesopotamia: wayyelek, “departed”

(Gen. 12:4, NKJV). In this sense, Rebekah’s steps follow

Abraham’s steps.

The part of prayer. Eliezer prayed for the success of

his journey (Gen. 24:12) and also that Rebekah would give

him a drink (Gen. 24:14). Then, in accordance with his

prayer, Rebekah “gave him a drink” (Gen. 24:18, NKJV).

Also, Isaac prayed for the success of his meeting with

Rebekah (Gen. 24:63). Then Rebekah’s eyes meet Isaac’s eyes

(Gen. 24:64).

The part of love. The biblical text reports that Isaac

loved Rebekah only after his marriage (Gen. 24:67). Love

implies faithfulness, the duty to “live joyfully with the

wife whom you love” (Eccles. 9:9, NKJV). This Hebrew

concept of love has inspired the Hebrew theology of

religion. The experience of conjugal love has been used as

a model for the covenant between God and His people (Hos.

2:2, Hos. 3:1). “Love” in the Old Testament is an integral

part of the concept of “covenant” (Deut. 7:9). Thus, when

God calls humans to love Him, He is not referring to a

momentary sentimental experience; to love God implies the

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 Lesson 3

commitment to live with Him for life (Deut. 6:5–9, Exod.

20:6).

The Harlot and the Bride

The conjugal experience inspired the prophets. When God’s

people were unfaithful to God by going after other gods,

they were compared to a harlot, and the marriage covenant

was described as broken. On the other hand, when God’s

people were faithful to God, the marriage covenant was

celebrated, and Israel, or the church, was compared to a

beautiful bride.

The Harlot. In the book of Hosea, the conjugal

symbolism refers to both a spiritual idea and a historical

reality. The prophet Hosea is called by God to take “ ‘a

wife of harlotry . . ., for the land has committed great

harlotry’ ” (Hos. 1:2, NKJV). These words need to be taken

both literally and spiritually. This woman “ ‘is loved by a

lover [someone other than her husband]’ ” and is committing

adultery, just as the children of Israel, whom God loved,

took to other gods (Hos. 3:1, NKJV); in this sense, she is

a real professional prostitute in the manner of such women

at that time in the country of Canaan. Thus, when the

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 Lesson 3

people of Israel saw the prophet marrying a harlot, they

identified themselves as the harlot that God married.

The Bride of God. In the book of Ezekiel, the woman or

bride, as a symbol of God’s people, is described in

progression. When God found her, she was just a dirty and

ugly newborn babe of pagan origin (Ezek. 16:3). Then, God

took care of her. He cleansed her and fed her, and she grew

“ ‘exceedingly beautiful’ ” (Ezek. 16:13, NKJV),

representing God’s splendor, which He bestowed upon her

(Ezek. 16:14). The same Hebrew qualification me’od me’od,

“exceedingly,” is used in the book of Ezekiel to

characterize the woman in her iniquity, which was “

‘exceedingly great’ ” (Ezek. 9:9, NKJV). What God made

“exceedingly” good turned to be “exceedingly” bad.

The Harlot and the Bride. In echo of the Hebrew

prophets, the book of Revelation uses the conjugal metaphor

to signify the contrast between the two versions of the

woman. The “bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2,

NKJV) represents God’s people with whom God will dwell in

the “New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:3). On the other hand, “ ‘the

great harlot’ ” represents the adulterous church “ ‘who

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 Lesson 3

corrupted the earth with her fornication’ ” (Rev. 19:2,

NKJV).

Part III: Life Application

The conjugal metaphor may have application in three areas

of a Christian’s life: in one’s personal relationship with

God, in one’s relationship with one’s spouse, and in the

church.

(1) With God. In what ways does the conjugal metaphor

apply to and illuminate your personal relationship with

God? How does the metaphor help you bring your religion

more fully into your life? How does it teach you that God

is not only to be present when you pray and when you

worship in church but everywhere and at all times? In what

ways does the figure of marriage teach you to walk with

God: in the night when you sleep, in the day when you work,

think, speak, sing, eat, play, and laugh as well as times

when you suffer, weep, and struggle? List specific examples

of when you feel and understand that God is close to you,

and when you feel He is far from you or sad for you.

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(2) With One’s Spouse. In the light of the biblical

model of marriage, consider, if married, your relationship

with your spouse. Pay joyful attention to each other “whom

you love all the days of your . . . life” (Eccles. 9:9,

NKJV), “submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph.

5:21, NKJV; compare with Gen. 3:16). Discover God’s image

in your spouse, and respect and wonder at his or her

difference from you (Gen. 1:26). How does the principle of

unity fit with the principle of difference (Gen. 2:24)?

(3) In the Church. Discuss the relationship between

the church and God’s character. How does God’s love and

righteousness apply to the life of the church? Find

concrete examples in which you, or your church, both fail

and succeed.

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 Lesson 4

Key Text: Daniel 7:14

Study Focus: Gen. 12:1-9.

Part I: Overview

When God created the earth, He had a plan of happiness and

love for the people who would live there. However, instead

of fulfilling God’s plan for them, people fell into the

temptation of choosing their own ways. In the next two

lessons, we will study how nations failed to find the right

path and how God guided people in their struggle to find

light in the darkness. This darkness was produced by their

desire for self-government.

The desire for self-government first manifested in the

Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve, under the influence of

the serpent, disobeyed God and fell under the temptation of

longing to be “ ‘like God’ ” (Gen. 3:5, NKJV).

Consequently, Adam and Eve, as fallen beings, gained a

knowledge of sin and thus lost the moral power to choose

good over evil (Gen. 3:22). Later in the early history of

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 Lesson 4

humanity, the men of Babel decided to erect a tower in

order to get to the door of God (“Bab-El”) in heaven so

that they might usurp God’s place (Gen. 11:1-4). But the

builders of Babel became confused and, as a result of their

presumption, God dispersed them over the earth.

Even the people of Israel tried to govern themselves,

and instead of embracing God’s rule, they looked for a king

from the men among their tribes. God responded to all of

these human movements with divine initiatives. First, God

called Abraham to become a blessing to

the nations. Then Israel and later the church were called

to witness to the nations about the kingdom of God. Against

the temptation to rely on human power to build the kingdoms

on this earth, and thus fall into darkness, the Bible

brings the hope of the kingdom of God, the only light for

the nations.

Part 2: Commentary

Adam and Eve

In the Garden of Eden, the story of the confrontation

between Eve and the serpent reveals the root cause of human

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 Lesson 4

failure; namely, the ambition to replace God. The serpent

appears first in the narrative. When he speaks, he sounds

like God, the Creator Himself. The serpent “said” (Gen.

3:1, NKJV), just as God “said” ten times in the Creation

story. The same verbal form wayyo’mer, “He said,” is used

in both stories. The construction of the phrase is

troubling, for the subject of the verb “he said” is not

indicated. In fact, this is the only case in this entire

passage that the subject is not clearly given. And to add

to the confusion, the verb is even preceded by the name

Elohim, “God,” giving the impression that God is speaking.

The Hebrew text has the following sequence of words: “God

[he] said to the woman.” Thus, the serpent seems to have

replaced God.

Interestingly, the same phenomenon occurs when the

woman engages in disobeying God. The phrase describing her

behavior, “the woman saw . . . was good” (Gen. 3:6, NKJV),

is reminiscent of God’s evaluation of His creation: “God

saw that . . . it was good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 25, 31).

This echo between God’s words and Eve’s words suggests that

she has already replaced the divine Creator with her own

opinion. Indeed, she behaves like God: “She took of its

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 Lesson 4

fruit and gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen.

3:6, NKJV). These three verbs (italicized in the quotation)

have so far been associated only with the Creator. God gave

to eat (Gen. 1:29). God “took” the man (Gen. 2:15) and God

“took” one of his ribs (Gen. 2:21, NKJV). Thus, Eve

identifies herself as the Creator and one-sidedly imposes

her “rule” over Adam.

Later, both Adam and Eve will attempt to take God’s

place again when they realize that they are naked. The

biblical text reports that they “made themselves coverings”

(Gen. 3:7, NKJV). The verb “make” has so far been used only

in conjunction with God, the Creator (Gen. 1:31, Gen. 2:2,

etc.). Significantly, Adam and Eve attempt to solve their

problem by putting themselves in the place of God, the

Divine One, a move that already had been initiated by the

woman. It is troubling that the human couple has now joined

the serpent’s agenda, which is to usurp God’s role. Their

blasphemy is also suggested in echo between the word ‘arom,

describing their “nakedness,” and the word ‘arom,

describing the serpent’s “cunningness” (Gen. 3:1, NKJV).

The Builders of Babel

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The language that is used to describe the work of the

builders of Babel echoes the Creation account, with the

deliberate intention of reversing the work of Creation and

replacing the God of Creation. Already this intention is

indicated in the table of nations in which Nimrod’s

foundation of the kingdom of Babel is introduced with the

technical word re’shit “beginning” (Gen. 10:10), which

echoes the divine Creation account (Gen. 1:1, NKJV).

Nimrod, whose name means “we shall rebel,” is presented as

the creator of Babel, just as God is the Creator of the

heavens and the earth.

In the story of the tower of Babel, we observe the

same usurpation. The phrase, ‘al peney, “on the face of,”

which was used to refer to the condition of the earth

before Creation (Gen. 1:2, NKJV), reappears here (Gen.

11:4). While the Creation account moved from one element

(waters) to multiplicity and diversity, Babel reverses the

state of multiplicity into one element. The word of God,

wayyomer ’Elohim, “God said,” has been replaced by the

builders’ word, wayy’omeru, “they said” (Gen. 11:3, 4,

NKJV). The divine fulfillment of Creation wayehi, “and

there was” (Gen. 1:3, NKJV), has been replaced by human

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 Lesson 4

achievement wattehi, “and it was” (Gen. 11:3, NKJV). The

divine self-deliberation or consultation na‘aseh, “let us

make,” of the divine Creator (Gen. 1:26) has been replaced

by human self-deliberation na‘aseh, “let us make” (Gen.

11:4). The builders of Babel have the same ambition as Eve:

they want to be like God.

The Call of Abram

With these words, God calls Abraham: “ ‘I will make you a

great nation . . . and make your name great’ ” (Gen. 12:2,

NKJV). God’s calling of Abram responds to, and stands

against, the designs of the builders of Babel. Thus, it is

no accident that God’s call to Abram to leave happens in

the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. It is indeed striking that

the ancient Sumerian city of Ur is located in the region of

Babylonia that has the closest association with the

incident of Babel.

That Abram heard the call to leave a place saturated

with the memory of Babel makes sense and should not

surprise us, not only because of historical and

geographical considerations, but also because of its

theological implications. From the cry of the prophets to

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the apocalyptic supplication, the divine call to “get out

of Babylon” (the Greek name for Babel), has a long

theological history in biblical tradition (see Isa. 48:20,

Rev. 18:4). The divine call means not only deliverance from

oppressive exilic conditions, as well as national

restoration to the Promised Land, but also implies a return

to the covenant.

The builders of Babel wanted to make for themselves a

great name and make themselves into a unique universal

nation (Gen. 11:4). But it is God who makes a name great

and only God who makes one particular nation great and

unique in contradistinction to the other nations.

Interestingly, the verb “make” is a keyword of the Creation

account, where it occurs seven times, with God as the

subject (Gen. 1:7, 16, 25, 26; Gen. 2:2 [2x], 3). The same

verb was used three times to describe the activity of the

builders of Babel (Gen. 11:4, 6 [2x]), and one of them, in

particular, in relation to their “name” (Gen. 11:4). Babel

stood, then, in place of the Creator. The call to Abram

restores God’s prerogatives. Only God, as the Creator, can

truly “make”; and only God can “make a name.” Moreover,

only the name of God is described as “great” (Josh. 7:9).

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The Blessing of Abram

The word barak, “bless,” is a keyword in God’s call to

Abram, where it appears five times. The use of this word is

particularly prominent in the book of Genesis, where it

occurs 88 times (in comparison to 356 times in the rest of

the Hebrew Bible). The Hebrew concept of “blessing” is

often associated with the prospect of fruitfulness (Gen.

1:21–23). Thus, the call to Abram overturns the ideology of

Babel. Against the builders of Babel, who refused to go

along with the divine plan of creation to multiply, the

blessing of Abram restores the forces of creation and the

promise of the future.

While the builders of Babel founded their security

only on themselves, the blessing of the nations is solely

dependent on God’s blessing to Abram. The essential reason

for this blessing lies in a future historical event: “ ‘in

you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ ” (Gen.

12:3, NKJV). The prepositional phrase “in you” means “in

your seed” or “through your seed.” That is, it is not “in

Abram” that the blessing is obtained, but “in the seed” of

Abram, which is the same Messianic “seed” as in Genesis

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 Lesson 4

3:15, with which our text shares many common words,

grammatical forms, and associations of words and themes.

The same language is used by Paul to describe the universal

effect of the covenant “in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 6:15, NKJV).

Part III: Life Application

Replacing God. Knowing that the essence of sinning is

to replace God, ask yourself the question, How, if we are

not careful, may God be replaced in every level of our

life? Discuss the following aspects in your class.

In your words: when you lie, you hide or distort a

fact. You have replaced the truth (what God sees) with your

version of it. When you boast, you generally exaggerate

your value at the expense of your neighbor or even at the

expense of God Himself, just as Nebuchadnezzar did when he

built the city of Babylon (Dan. 4:30).

In your work: when you overwork, you ignore the laws

of health or your family who needs your presence and

attention. When you are lazy, you do a sloppy job. When you

cheat, when you plagiarize, you steal the work or findings

of someone else, pretending that it is yours.

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In your religion: when you worship someone else or

something else other than God, whether it is money, work, a

car, a house, or yourself, you thus commit idolatry.

Responding to God’s Call. Knowing that replacing God

is sin, what can you do to allow God to remove self from

the throne of your heart and enthrone Himself? Find

examples in the Bible that demonstrate this divine

interposition.

Discuss God’s response to human sin; reflect on the

issue of substitution—the fact that God chose to die in

your place so that you might live. Meditate on specific

events in the history of Israel in which God worked for

humans (for example, the Creation, the Exodus, the

Babylonian exile, or specific times in which God fought for

His people [Exod. 14:14], etc.).

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Key Text: Psalm 46:10

Study Focus: Gen. 1:29, Dan. 2:44, 45.

Part I: Overview

One day a father, seeing that his child was bored, took him

to see a film about nature. The film was about the life of

animals. The father’s intention was to teach his child the

beauty of Creation so that he might better understand God’s

beautiful character and thus exalt Him for His wonderful

plans on behalf of humanity. Unfortunately, the movie was

full of violence. The animals displayed unbearable cruelty.

The strong vulture crushed the weak sparrow. The wicked

overcame the gentle. And death prevailed over life. The

child got scared and started to cry. He shouted at his

father to take him home. Obviously, the father’s

pedagogical method was less than successful.

When we ponder the course of human history, we are

confronted with the same reality. Human history is full of

wars, abuses, and deceptions. The strong nations crush

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small nations, and all too often worldly power prevails

over wisdom and justice. Solomon, in his book of

Ecclesiastes, saw the same thing: “In the place of

judgment, wickedness was there; . . . iniquity was there”

(Eccles. 3:16, NKJV).

From the child who cries at the violence of animals to

the wise philosopher who ponders the vagaries of human

life, the same disturbing questions arise: Why is this

happening? Is this what God planned for the world? Where is

God in this evil confusion? To these questions, the Bible

gives two answers. The first answer is found in the far

distant past of humanity, in the story of the Fall when

God’s first commandment was transgressed. The second answer

is found in prophecy. In both answers, the solution to

human tragedy is profiled.

Part 2: Commentary

The First Commandment

The first time that the Bible refers to a commandment is

found in the context of the second Creation account (Gen.

2:16, 17, NKJV), in connection to food, God’s first gift to

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man (Gen. 1:29). The verb tsawah, “command,” is

etymologically related to the word mitswah, “commandment.”

The “commandment” is more than just an imperative order

that has to be obeyed by men, an act that God asks His

people to do. The fact that God “commanded” the works of

Creation (Prov. 8:29) suggests that what we call a

“commandment” is, in fact, a gift from God to man (Exod.

24:12, Neh. 9:13, NKJV).

This gift is for man’s happiness and life, and thus

“ ‘he shall live by them’ ” (Lev. 18:5, NKJV). For this

reason, the psalmist prays, “Give me the grace of your law”

(Ps. 119:29, author’s literal translation). Significantly,

the first commandment also begins with grace, the gift of

all the trees: “ ‘Of every tree . . . you may freely eat’ ”

(Gen. 2:16, NKJV).

The first response to God’s commandment is, therefore,

to receive God’s grace and enjoy His gift. The second

response is to refrain from eating from the forbidden tree.

Both promises of life and death are certain. Both verbs are

in the absolute infinitive, which expresses the idea of

certainty. The promise of the gift of life is as certain as

the warning of death that is attached to disobedience. From

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the very beginning, the two ways are clearly outlined.

Either we receive God, and we enjoy life, or we reject Him,

and we die. Both prospects are certain: “ ‘I have set

before you today life and good, death and evil’ ” (Deut.

30:15, NKJV).

The Prophecies of the Nations

The book of Daniel is written in two languages. When the

prophet is concerned with the Gentile kingdoms, he writes

in Aramaic, the lingua franca of that time. When the

prophet is concerned with the spiritual destiny of His

people, he writes in Hebrew, the language of God’s people

at that time. Daniel’s prophecies in chapters 2 and 7 are

located in the Aramaic section, and are concerned, then,

with the fate of the Gentile nations. Therefore, these are

the prophecies that will command our attention.

In Daniel 2, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar has a

prophetic dream of a statue representing the succession of

world empires related to the history of God’s people. The

message to Nebuchadnezzar, the builder of Babylon, is that

his kingdom will not stand forever, but it will be followed

by other kingdoms, until the end of times when all the

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kingdoms will be destroyed and be replaced by the kingdom

of God, which is the only kingdom that “ ‘shall never be

destroyed’ ” and “ ‘shall stand forever’ ” (Dan. 2:44,

NKJV). Nebuchadnezzar refuses to acknowledge this divinely

appointed prophecy. In reaction to the prophecy,

Nebuchadnezzar decides immediately to erect a statue of

solid gold. This statue signifies his intention to counter

and replace God’s plan for the nations. Instead of God’s

kingdom replacing all the previous empires of the earth,

Nebuchadnezzar’s plan is to gather all the nations under

his rule (Dan. 3:7).

In Daniel 7, Daniel’s dream of the animals is related

to Darius, the Medo-Persian king who represents the next

fulfillment in the prophecy of the statue. Darius had just

honored God and acknowledged Him as the ruler of the

nations (Dan. 6:25-27). Although the two prophecies of

Daniel 2 and 7 concern the same succession of four nations

(Babylon, the Medes and the Persians, Greece, and Rome),

the focus of the end of history is different in each

prophecy.

In the vision of the statue, the end is marked by the

destruction of the kingdoms of the earth, followed by the

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establishment of the everlasting kingdom of God, which

“ ‘shall never be destroyed’ ” and “ ‘shall stand forever’

” (Dan. 2:44, NKJV). In the dream of the animals, the end

is brought by the coming of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ

Himself, with the clouds (Dan. 7:13, 14; compare with Mark

13:26, 27).

The Divine Solution

The Genesis story of the Fall and the apocalyptic

prophecies concerning the nations not only describe the

stumbling and the failure of men when they attempt to

replace God; they also provide us with God’s only solution

to the human problem, namely the kingdom of God.

According to the text of Genesis, the fall of Adam and

Eve took place in connection with the first commandment

that related life to the knowledge of good and evil.

Significantly, the tree of life and the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil were both in the midst of the

Garden, near to each other, suggesting the relation between

them. As soon as humans took fruit from the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil, they no longer had access to

the tree of life anymore (Gen. 3:22-24).

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There are two lessons to be gleaned from this

connection: first, life is not a natural part of humanity.

Humans are not immortal. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam

and Eve depended on an external source for life. And

second, life is not just a biological condition; it also

has spiritual and moral dimensions.

According to the prophecies of Daniel, the failure of

the nations to establish peace and happiness, after the

arrogant attempt to erect the tower of Babel, was due to

their desire to confederate as one against God, the

Creator, who then came down and scattered them (Gen. 11:4-

9). Alluding to the story of the tower of Babel, the

prophecy of Daniel 2 refers to similar vain attempts at

unity: the iron will attempt to mix with the clay. We are

told that “ ‘in the days of these kings the God of heaven

will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed’ ”

(Dan. 2:44, NKJV).

In Daniel 11:43, the king of the north, followed by

“Egypt, Libyans, and Ethiopia,” will stand against the

mountain of the Lord with the intention to “ ‘annihilate

many’ ” (Dan. 11:44, NKJV). Then, the prophecy tells us

that, as in Daniel 2, its end will come without any help

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(Dan. 11:45; compare with Dan. 2:45). In the book of

Revelation, the vision of the war of Armageddon refers to

the same movement toward unity: the kings of the earth will

gather against the kingdom of God (Rev. 16:16). The

prophetic description of the regular rise and fall of the

nations that ends with the irruption of God’s kingdom that

“shall stand forever” is an affirmation of the only

possible solution to the problem of the nations. Only God’s

kingdom, which means the return to the condition of the

Garden of Eden, will bring everlasting life. Only then, the

first commandment will be obeyed, and the nations will be

healed from their wounds (Rev. 22:2).

Part III: Life Application

Lesson on Leadership. When Nebuchadnezzar learned that

his rule would be limited to the head of gold on the

statue, he erected a statue made entirely of gold. What

lessons can we learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s example about

the need for humility in leadership? How does his story

teach us that we are not the only ones capable of doing,

and available to do, the job right? Also, what do the

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personal narratives of both Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel teach

us about faith (trust in God), even when we are no longer

in charge?

Lesson on Politics. At the end of time, human rulers

will unite together to replace the kingdom of God, just as

the builders of the tower of Babel did. How should you

respond to the temptation to scheme and plot to acquire

support for your views? Read Daniel 3:8 and Daniel 6:4-13.

What can we learn from the mistake of the Chaldeans who

plotted against Daniel in order to take his place? How can

we successfully resist permitting political maneuvers and

personal ambitions and interests to prevail over truth and

justice?

Lesson on Perspective. The problem with the earthly

kings in the prophecies of Daniel is that they were

“present-oriented.” Eternity, the future kingdom of God,

was not part of their reality. This consideration applies

to all aspects of life. Ellen G. White warns, “No scheme of

business or plan of life can be sound or complete that

embraces only the brief years of this present life.” Then

she counsels people to “take eternity into their

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 Lesson 5

reckoning.”—Education, p. 145. How can we avoid making the

same mistake that the earthly kings in the prophecies made?

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Key Text: Revelation 5:9

Study Focus: Gen. 4:1-8, Isa. 53:1-12.

Part I: Overview

The ritual of sacrifice was current practice among most of

the peoples of the ANE (Ancient Near East). In the ANE,

sacrifice was considered to be a gift to one’s god,

providing food for the deity in exchange for help.

The Bible, however, gives a radically different

meaning to the ritual of sacrifice; in fact, it reversed

its purpose. While in the ANE, sacrifice signified an

upward movement from the human condition to the divine

sphere. In the Bible, sacrifice signified a downward

movement from God to men. In the ANE, the god created

humans in order to have slaves who would serve him or her

and provide him or her with food. In contrast, the God of

the Bible creates humans and gives them food.

In this lesson, we will study the biblical

significance of the sacrifices. The biblical meaning of the

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sacrifices depends on the literary context in which they

appear. Historical and legislative texts tend to report the

events of the sacrifices as rituals, and thus provide the

religious and ethical significance of the sacrifices as

they are lived by the people. On the other hand, the

prophetic and poetic texts tend to focus on their spiritual

and prophetic significance. We have chosen one typical text

of each category: the historical sacrifices of Cain and

Abel, in Genesis 4, and the prophetic sacrifice of the

Suffering Servant, in Isaiah 53, in order to understand

better their respective significance.

Part II: Commentary

The Religious and Ethical Significance of the Sacrifices

The first explicit event of sacrifice highlights the

diametric opposition between Cain and Abel. While Cain

takes his offering only from “the fruit of the ground”

(Gen. 4:3, NKJV), Abel, on the other hand, brings “also,”

or “in addition” to, the non-animal offering “the firstborn

of his flock” (Gen. 4:4, NKJV). The sacrifice of Abel,

therefore, is in conformity with biblical instruction,

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which required that “in addition to” a vegetable offering,

a sacrificial animal be presented for the burnt offering

(Exod. 29:39–41). Considering the fact that Abel was “a

keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground” (Gen.

4:2), Cain, the elder brother, was confronted with a

problem: he needed the help of his little brother. Cain’s

pride may have played a role in his choice of sacrifice and

in his subsequent actions.

The biblical story tells us, then, that “the LORD

respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect

Cain and his offering” (Gen. 4:4, 5, NKJV). The biblical

text does not explain why Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and

Cain’s offering not. However, a number of clues in the text

suggest the following:

1. God’s first concern is the person who makes the

offering, as the following literal translation suggests:

“God looked with interest at Abel, therefore [waw] at his

offering; but He did not look with interest at Cain,

therefore [waw] at his offering.” This translation

indicates that the reason for God’s rejection or acceptance

of the offering lies primarily in the spiritual condition

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of the person and not in his offering, per se (Mic. 6:7, 8;

Isa. 1:11).

2. While Cain offers “to God,” Abel just offers. The

phrase “to God” is absent in conjunction with Abel. While

Cain thinks of his offering as his gift to God, Abel’s

attention essentially concerns the meaning of the sacrifice

itself, namely, God’s gift to him. While Cain views his

religion as an upward movement to God, Abel understands it

as a downward movement from God.

3. Whereas Abel chose from the bekorot, the

“ ‘firstfruits,’ ” the most precious produce of the season,

according to the Mosaic legislation (Exod. 23:19, NKJV),

Cain took any fruit from the land. Cain’s offering was the

expression of human effort toward God, whereas Abel’s

offering was the expression of humanity’s need for God’s

salvation.

4. Abel’s offering was related to the promise of the

Messianic Lamb of Genesis 3:15, who would be sacrificed to

save the world, whereas Cain’s offering was an empty and

unsignificant ritual. Note that the same contrast appears

between the human clothing and God’s clothing (Gen. 3:7).

Whereas Adam and Eve used the plant that was available to

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them to cover themselves, God used clothing that implied an

animal sacrifice (see Gen. 3:21).

5. Ultimately, Cain’s lack of the right religious

connection reaches its climax in the act of murder. Because

Cain disconnects from God the Father, he loses his

connection with his brother.

Fratricide illustrates how sin works. Sin toward one’s

brother derives from sin toward God. God perceives this

relation between the religious and the ethical when He

warns Cain: “ ‘If you do well, will you not be accepted?’ ”

(Gen. 4:7, NKJV). The phrase “ ‘do well’ ” concerns, first

of all, the right sacrifice, which Cain is required to

offer; but it also refers to Cain’s personal struggle

against evil and, more particularly, to his relationship

with his brother. The Hebrew verb teytib, “do well,” has a

strong ethical connotation. The same verb is used by

Jeremiah to describe the desired relationship between

“ ‘a man and his neighbor’ ” (Jer. 7:5, NKJV).

It is interesting to note that Jeremiah’s address to

Israel connects the same issue of religious life to ethics.

After a long list of ethical crimes (stealing, lying,

adultery, etc.), the prophet confronts his people, who then

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“ ‘come and stand before Me in this house which is called

by My name’ ” (Jer. 7:10, NKJV). This call has resonated

with many other prophets who have emphasized God’s

rejection of these sacrifices. Micah, in particular,

eloquently insists on the worthlessness of such a religion:

“Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams?. . . . He

has shown you, O man, what is good . . . to do justly, to

love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:7, 8,

NKJV).

The Prophetic Significance of the Sacrifices

One of the most powerful biblical passages on the prophetic

significance of the sacrifices is Isaiah’s song of the Suffering

Servant. The Suffering Servant is identified as a sacrifice,

thus predicting the sacrificial ministry of Jesus Christ. In

fact, the central idea of the passage is the suffering and dying

of the Servant for atoning purposes. This idea appears in eight

out of the 12 verses (Isa. 53:4-8,10-12).

It is also intensified in the central section of Isaiah

53:4-6 and described with terms and motifs directly borrowed

from the Levitical world. The Servant is compared to a lamb

ready for slaughter (Isa. 53:7; compare with Lev. 4:32; Lev.

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5:6; Lev. 14:13, 21; etc.). The passive form, one of the most

characteristic features of the Levitical style, is most

prominent in Isaiah 53. It is used 16 times in the text; 12 of

them are in the Niphal, the technical form of the priestly

“declaratory verdict,” which is normally used in connection with

the sacrifices. This religious-cultic intention is further

confirmed by the seven references to “sin,” covering all three

technical terms (pesha‘, ‘awon, khet’): “He was wounded for our

transgressions [pesha‘], He was bruised for our iniquities

[‘awon]; . . . And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity [‘awon]

of us all. . . . He shall bear their iniquities [‘awon]. He bore the

sin [khet’] of many” (Isa. 53:5, 6, 11, 12, NKJV).

One verse in particular reveals the Levitical process of

atonement: “By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify

many, for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11, NKJV).

The word “knowledge” (beda‘to) points to verse 3, where the same

root word “to know” (Yadu‘a) is used to characterize the Servant

as a man who “knows” grief. The verse explains that it is

through this knowledge, or this experience, of suffering that

the Servant will “justify.” The following phrase explains the

operation implied in the verb “justify”: “For He shall bear

their iniquities” (Isa. 53:11). It is by bearing their

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iniquities that the Servant will be able to make many just. The

next verse uses again the word “many” and confirms this

interpretation which makes “many” the object of the verb

“justify”: hence, the Servant “bore the sin of many” (Isa.

53:12, NKJV).

This language and its association of ideas are quite

familiar in the biblical context, suggesting that the Servant is

like the sacrificial offering, which in the Levitical system

bore the sin and hence permitted justification and forgiveness

from God: “ ‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, . . . he

shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering. . . . So the

priest shall make atonement for his sin [khet’] that he has

committed, and it shall be forgiven him’ ” (Lev. 4:32-35, NKJV).

The strong cultic accent in this text upholds the idea that the

Suffering Servant plays the role of a vicarious sacrifice,

taking the place of the sinner to provide forgiveness.

Part III: Life Application

God’s Sacrifice for Your Salvation. Read Philippians 2:7.

Reflect on the expression “emptied Himself” (ESV). How does

God’s willingness to become “nothing” apply to your

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relationship with your fellow neighbors or your relatives?

How ready are you to become nothing, to “empty” yourself

for the advancement of your colleague or the growth of your

child?

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Key Text: Isaiah 6:8

Study Focus: Isa. 6:6-8, Rev. 4:9-11.

Part I: Overview

God is the foundation of every good thing, simply because

He is the Creator of all good things, animate and

inanimate. We hear this important truth in the first words

of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and

the earth” (Gen. 1:1, NKJV). In the Hebrew phrase, the verb

“create” precedes its subject “God,” a way of affirming

that, because God is the Creator, He is God. In this week’s

lesson, we will reflect on the significance of this

foundational truth, which is the basis for three biblical

revelations of God.

Our attention will first center on God’s throne in

heaven. Because God is the cause of everything, and all

depends on Him, God is the King who rules over everything.

God is thus presented as the King of kings, sitting on His

throne in heaven (Isa. 6:1, 6-8, Rev. 4:9-11). Our

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attention, then, will move to God’s throne on the earth.

Because God rules the universe, His throne also has

jurisdiction over the earth. In this second section, we

will learn about God’s kingship on the earth, in the Garden

of Eden, and later, in Israel, in connection with the ark

of the covenant, and in Zion, which are described as places

of God’s throne.

In the Life Application section, we will embrace our

hope in God’s future throne in the “New Jerusalem” in the

new earth. In conclusion, we shall consider the following

lesson: What does it mean for us, in our present existence,

to have God’s throne in our hearts today?

Part II: Commentary

God’s Throne in Heaven. The existence of God’s throne in

heaven predates the creation of the earth. According to

Jeremiah, this place exists from the very beginning of the

creation of the universe (Jer. 17:12). It is in this

particular heavenly context that the first rebellion of

Lucifer and, hence, the origin of evil, took place. This

testimony is important because it shows that the problem of

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evil is a cosmic one that also concerns other worlds, not

just the earth. The only solution to the problem of evil is

cosmic, and so it must entail the deposition of Lucifer

(Rev. 20:7-10). Isaiah describes God’s throne as the place

where heavenly beings are serving, praising, and worshiping

the King of the universe: “I saw the Lord sitting on a

throne, high and lifted up” (Isa. 6:1, NKJV). The situation

of the throne in heaven is rich with a number of ideas

regarding the divine reality and with lessons that concern

us.

The first idea expressed by the image of the throne

represents, by symbolism, royalty. As the king of all

creation, God rules and controls all the universe. For us,

this idea implies obedience to His laws and trust in His

power and His leadership. Furthermore, because royalty is

often associated with the function of judge (Ps. 122:5),

all creatures, including humans, should see God as their

judge, which means that God is the One who sees, and can

evaluate, all our actions, good and bad (Eccles. 12:14).

Not only that, we see that God is the One who will save us

from evil. In the Bible, the judge is also the “savior”

(Judg. 3:9, 15; Judg. 6:36; Judg. 12:3). By locating the

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throne of God in heaven, the Bible shows that judgment and

salvation are not in our hands. Only God judges, and only

He will save us.

The biblical emphasis on heaven as the location for

the throne of God intends to convey several messages. This

location implies that God is distinct from His creation;

God is not the tree or in the tree. God is not a derivative

of human beings. God is the Creator, infinitely far from

the earth, and therefore unreachable and beyond our

apprehension: “God is in heaven, and you on earth;

therefore let your words be few” (Eccl. 5:2, NKJV).

Any theology, any human description of God, is

inadequate because God is beyond our understanding (Job

11:7-12; Job 36:26; Isa. 55:8, 9). When we pray to God, our

words, and even our silence, should reflect reverence. The

profound mystery of God is evoked by the complexity of the

throne, which has the appearance of a supernatural chariot

animated by powerful cherubins, other living creatures with

wings, and powerful hands beneath (Ezek. 1:8). The glorious

and sublime beauty of God’s throne conveys an impression of

unreachable transcendence. Ezekiel describes the throne as

being made of precious stones, in particular “lapis

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lazuli,” the material associated with divinity in the

Ancient Near East (Ezek. 1:26). Daniel sees the throne

composed of flames (Dan. 7:9); while in Revelation, it is

surrounded by an emerald rainbow, and seven torches or

lamps of fire in front of a crystal sea (Rev. 4:3-6). Only

one human response to this display of magnificent and

perfect beauty is appropriate: awe, mingled with humility,

and an acute consciousness of our misery and sinful

condition apart from God.

On the other hand, this mystery and perfect beauty are

an appeal to us to testify to their existence in our

worship services. We attest to their existence when we

reverently inquire into God’s revelation through His words

and in His creation. God’s beauty and mystery are also an

appeal to humanity to repent and to allow Him to

rehabilitate our sinful characters. Furthermore, the beauty

and mystery of God’s throne are a call to us, here and now,

to testify to both the justice and the reality of God’s

absolute principles of truth.

God’s Throne on Earth. Yet, God did not confine

Himself in heaven, far from, and indifferent to, human

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destiny. Various representations of the heavenly throne

were also present on earth.

The Garden of Eden. The first earthly appearance of

the “heavenly” throne of God on earth is found in the

Garden of Eden, which is described in terms that recall the

heavenly temple of God. The cherubim who stand in front of

the Garden, with a flaming sword (Gen. 3:24), remind us of

the cherubim who stand around the heavenly throne of God

and minister as flames of fire (Ps. 104:4; compare with

Dan. 7:9, Rev. 4:3-6). The rivers that flow in the Garden

of Eden (Gen. 2:10-14) point to the water of life, which is

as clear as crystal and springs from the throne of God

(Rev. 22:2). The precious stones also appear in both

places, in heaven and on earth (Gen. 2:12; compare with

Ezek. 1:26).

The Ark of the Covenant. Another important location of

the throne of God was the ark of the covenant, which also

shares a significant number of features with God’s heavenly

throne (such as the presence of cherubim) and is considered

to be God’s throne or His footstool. Evidence of this

identification is provided in 1 Chronicles 28:2, wherein

the phrase “the ark of the covenant of the LORD” is

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connected to the “ ‘footstool of our God’ ” (1 Chron. 28:2,

NKJV). It was the place, as with the other thrones, where

judgment would take place. The “footstool” is also

mentioned later in 2 Chronicles 9:18, where it is situated

below the throne of Solomon, according to the ancient near

eastern custom in which the footstools were placed at the

feet of the god in the temple (see Ps. 99:5, Ps. 132:7,

Lam. 2:1), implying that God stood above it.

Mount Zion. When Israel settled in their country, they

put the ark of the covenant in the temple of Jerusalem on

Mount Zion. The name of Zion was then used as a synonym for

the place of God’s throne, the seat of judgment (Ps. 9:4,

Isa. 16:5). All preceding notions concerning the throne of

God are, then, transferred to Zion, where God dwells and

judges the nations (Ps. 9:11-15). This line of thinking

will continue in the New Testament where Christ and His

apostles will sit on thrones to judge the world (Matt.

19:28). Zion will designate the New Jerusalem in heaven

where the biblical hope of peace, love, and eternal life

will ultimately be fulfilled (Rev. 21:1-4).

We Are the Temple of God. Ultimately, God dwells among

His people. The Hebrew verb shakan, “dwell,” is used to

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describe God’s dwelling among His people in the sanctuary

(Exod. 25:8, 9). This idea of God’s dwelling was so

powerful that it produced the word mishkan, “tabernacle,”

the very place where God would dwell. The verb also refers

to the cloud that dwelt, “rested” (shakan), on the

tabernacle (Exod. 40:35). In the New Testament, this notion

is extended to the Christian person, including the body:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy

Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are

not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19, NKJV). “Therefore,” concludes

Paul, “glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which

are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20, NKJV).

Part III: Life Application

Pedagogy of the Throne. In our day, the notions of kingship

and “throne” do not sound particularly relevant. Thus, we

have lost the sense of transcendence, respect, and

sacredness. Discuss these notions with young and old

people. Consider the following strategies as possible ways

for communicating this notion:

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1. Organize an outing in nature among the grandeur and

splendor of God’s handiwork as a way of instilling a sense

of transcendence and awe for His throne.

2. Visit an astronomical museum as a way of appreciating

our infinite universe.

3. Invite a scientist to explain the complexity and

mysteries of the human body.

The Throne in Worship. In light of your study of the throne

of God, revisit your worship services, the way you behave

in church, the way you pray, sing, and preach. Would

boasting about your church’s mission success or its number

of Bible studies be appropriate? Why, or why not?

The Throne in Ethics. Recognize and appreciate God’s royal

presence in your neighbor, your relative, your brother or

sister, your parents, and your spouse. How does the reality

of God’s throne and transcendence affect the nature of your

relationship with them?

The Throne in Your Personal Life. Ask yourself the

following question: “What does the idea that you are the

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throne of God mean in your daily existence?” That is, how

does the idea that you are God’s throne impact the way you

treat your body, organize your time, order your household,

and conduct yourself in the workplace?

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Lesson 8

Key Text: Revelation 14:1

Study Focus: Psalm 15, Psalm 24, Psalm 51, Psalm 122.

Part I: Overview

In the middle of the Bible, the Psalms contain testimony

about ancient Israel’s praying and worshiping. Not only the

professional priests are praying. The people of the land,

poets, and kings sing praises to the Creator and Savior.

But they also weep and cry to the Lord, longing for His

judgment and salvation. Among these Psalms, which reflect

the suffering of the ancient people of Israel, we also may

find prophetic flashes concerning the end of time, when the

great Judge will finally come in response to the longing of

the nations. The eschatological thrust of these Psalms has

been noted by numerous biblical scholars.

In the next two lessons, we will search these sacred

poems and songs to find messages that speak to us who live

in the time of the end. We will think about our suffering,

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our frustrations, and our painful experiences in response

to God’s silence. We will yearn for peace in the moments of

trouble and wars. We will cry with the people of the

Psalms. But we also will be comforted and strengthened in

our hope as we learn about the reality and the certainty of

God’s promise. Our last response then will be to worship

the Lord. We will then grasp better the depth and the

significance of the longing of Israel. But more important,

we will discover how relevant the songs of these poets and

priests of the Psalms are for us who live in the time of

the end.

Part II: Commentary

For this journey inside the “soul” of the prophetic

message, we have chosen four Psalms: Psalm 122, for its

intense and poignant appeal, “Pray for the peace of

Jerusalem” (Ps. 122:6, NKJV); Psalms 15 and 24, because

both psalms wonder about the absence of the Lord and ask

the same puzzling questions: “Who may dwell in Your holy

hill?” (Ps. 15:1, NKJV), “Who may ascend into the hill of

the LORD?” (Ps. 24:3, NKJV); and Psalm 51 for its trembling

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supplication before the presence of the Lord in His temple:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10).

Psalm 122: The Peace of Jerusalem. Although Psalm 122 is

attributed to David (Ps. 122:1), many biblical scholars

have questioned this connection on the basis of the

reference to the “house of the LORD” (Ps. 122:9, NKJV). It

is argued that David could not have mentioned “the house of

the LORD,” that is, the Jerusalem temple, simply because the

temple was not yet built in his time. Yet, the tabernacle

in David’s day is often called the “house of the LORD” (1

Sam. 1:7, 24; Judg. 19:18). Thus, what is missed in this

argument is the fact that Mount Moriah, which will become

the place of the temple of Jerusalem, is also designated as

“the mount of the LORD” very early in biblical history (Gen.

22:14). The notions of “house of the LORD” and of

“Jerusalem” are, therefore, to be taken in a spiritual

sense that transcends the actual time of David. As David

prays about the peace of Jerusalem, we are inspired to

dream typologically of the spiritual Jerusalem from which

peace and judgment will radiate toward the extremities of

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the world, as a blessing for the nations (Gen. 22:17, 18;

compare with Gen. 12:3).

That David, the warrior, thinks of the peace of

Jerusalem implies the idea that the world will be at war

against Jerusalem. The prophet has in view the event of

“Armageddon,” as predicted in Revelation 16:16 and in

Daniel 11:45. The name Armageddon, which means “mount of

gathering,” refers to the mountain of the Lord where God’s

people gather to worship. This “gathering” refers also to

the gathering of the peoples who will come to attack God’s

people. The phrase “mount of the LORD” represents,

typologically, spiritual Zion or Jerusalem. David sees

prophetically that the peace of the world depends on the

peace of Jerusalem. Therefore, he urges us to pray for the

peace of Jerusalem on which depends the peace, the

blessing, and the salvation of the world.

Psalm 15 and Psalm 24: The Hill of the Lord. In Psalm 15

and Psalm 24, David asks a question that concerns the same

event, that is, the occupation of the “holy Mount,” which

refers to the New Jerusalem in heaven. Yet, the answer to

that question is different in each Psalm. In Psalm 15, the

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focus lies on the human level and concern for God’s people.

The description of the righteous contrasts here with the

description of the wicked in Psalm 14, who persecute God’s

people (Ps. 14:4), who are identified as the “generation of

the righteous.” God’s people seek “refuge” in the Lord (Ps.

14:5, 6, NKJV) and long for His salvation, which will come

“out of Zion” (Ps. 14:7, NKJV).

Psalm 15 continues in the same vein, and the question

arises, then, “Who may dwell in Your holy hill?” (Ps. 15:1,

NKJV). To answer this question, the psalmist refers to

God’s people who, in contrast to the wicked in the

preceding Psalm, live according to principles of conduct,

all of which equal the Ten Commandments: some are positive

(Ps. 15:2), and some are negative (Ps. 15:3-5). The first

principle includes all the others: “He who walks uprightly”

(Ps 15:2, NKJV). The Hebrew word tamim, “uprightly,” means

completeness, has the connotation of naiveness, and

suggests a truthful religion in which there is no falsity

or doublemindedness. The religion of God’s people is based

on the fear of the LORD, in the middle of the Psalm (see Ps.

15:4). Notice, too, that these principles are essentially

of an ethical order, dealing with our treatment of others.

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They concern negative behavior: lying (Ps. 15:2),

slandering (Ps. 15:3), and deceiving (Ps. 15:5).

Psalm 24 complements Psalm 15. Whereas Psalm 15 has an

existential perspective, Psalm 24 has a cosmic perspective,

which is articulated in three sections. The psalm begins

with an affirmation of the God of Creation, who rules over

the universe (Ps. 24:1, 2). The psalm then moves to the

call to worship, through the question, “Who may ascend into

the hill of the LORD?” (Ps. 24:3). In the Psalms, worship is

generally a human response to God’s creation (Ps. 95:6, Ps.

100:1-3). The second section (Ps. 24:3-6) answers the

question in Psalm 24:3 by emphasizing that only the ones

who have “clean hands and a pure heart” and who have not

committed idolatry qualify for ascending into the hill of

the LORD, i.e., worship (Ps. 24:4, NKJV). The psalm is not

referring here to an ideal of absolute perfection. Later,

these worshipers are described as “the generation of those

who seek” the Lord (Ps. 24:6, NKJV).

The third section (Ps. 24:7-10) is about the coming of

the King of glory. God is here pictured as a victorious

warrior, “mighty in battle” (Ps. 24:8, NKJV), who has

defeated the forces of evil and chaos, and thus has

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restored the order of creation. In other words, the

religious ideal of God’s people, who wait for salvation out

of Zion, is both vertical and horizontal. This ideal is

comprised of personal faith in the invisible God and hope

in the coming kingdom; thus, it is both discerning

(imparting wisdom) and apocalyptic.

Psalm 51: A Clean Heart. According to the superscription of

Psalm 51 (Ps. 51:1), this prayer must have been written by

David when he was confronted by Nathan the prophet for his

sin. But this prayer also may be understood and interpreted

as a typical supplication of any person who is aware of his

or her iniquity and desires to meet with our approaching

God.

The prayer begins with David’s cry to God for

forgiveness, with an appeal for His mercy because of his

“transgressions” (Ps. 51:1). Then the Psalm diverges into

two parts. The first part of the Psalm (Ps. 51:1-9) is a

plea to God to erase his “transgressions,” which separate

him from God. God is described here as merciful (Ps. 51:1),

the God of “truth” (Ps. 51:6, NKJV), and as hiding His face

(Ps. 51:9). The sin is so great and profound that all the

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words for sin are used to designate it: khet’, “sin,”

pesha‘, “transgression,” and awon, “iniquity.” In order to

render the magnitude of his sin, the poet uses a hyperbolic

image: his sin originates from the time of his conception

in the womb of his mother (Ps. 51:5). Therefore, the only

way for him to approach God and recover his relationship

with Him is to have his sin disappear, as if nothing

happened. In this first section, keywords expressing this

idea of erasing punctuate the prayer: “blot out” (Ps. 51:1,

9, NKJV), “wash” (Ps. 51:2, 7, NKJV), “cleanse” (Ps. 51:2),

and “purge” (Ps. 51:7).

The second part of the Psalm (Ps. 51:10-19),

concentrates on the idea of renewal. The keywords are

“create,” “renew,” “restore,” and “build.” God is described

as the Creator (Ps. 51:10, 12, 15) and Savior (Ps. 51:14).

The psalm concludes with the vision of “the walls of

Jerusalem” and of the sacrifice that is accepted by God

(Ps. 51:18, 19).

Part III: Life Application

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1. In light of our lesson for this week, ponder the

following questions: What does the psalmist’s call to

“pray for the peace of Jerusalem” mean for us today?

What must we do to achieve it?

2. Meditate on Jesus’ recommendation to pray to our

Father above, “ ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven’ ” (Matt. 6:10, NKJV).

Realize that this prayer is not simply about a

spiritual solution to our troubling world. This prayer

is about Jesus’ coming to change the world. Discuss.

3. Why should our hope in the coming of the Lord, the

concern over the signs of the times, the sensational

events unfolding in the world, and our desire to

prepare for God’s kingdom complement our personal work

in character growth and development, as Christians?

Why should the sentiments and thoughts of our hearts

correspond with our ideals of the kingdom, as well?

Discuss why our religious effort toward

sanctification, and our ideal of holiness, should make

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us more sensitive toward our neighbors and ethical in

our treatment of them.

4. Activity: As we live in times of wars all over the

world, we need to learn to pray for the “peace of

Jerusalem.” This notion means that the peace of the

world should be a part of our concern. Organize a week

of prayer to pray for peace on earth. Learn to develop

empathy for people who suffer under the conditions of

war.

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Key Text: Psalm 67:3, 4

Study Focus: Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 67, Psalm 75.

Part I: Overview

Last week, the selected psalms focused on God’s people at

the time of the end, as they prepare for the coming of the

Lord. The lesson was about the challenges and the struggles

of God’s people. The challenges concerned their personal

life. The psalms referred to the need for profound and

radical repentance—a complete change of heart. The selected

psalms also warned God’s people, as a community of faith,

of the external enemy, who in moments of harsh persecution

brought unbearable troubles upon them. This week, the four

selected psalms will draw our attention to God Himself. The

first psalm will present God to us as “our refuge,” who

comforts us and reassures us, drawing Him near to us as the

One who will bring “help in” times of “trouble” (Ps. 46:1,

NKJV).

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The second psalm will stir our hearts, making us

rejoice because God “our King . . . is the King of all the

earth” (Ps. 47:6, 7). The third psalm will reenforce these

emotions, which will transform into thanks because God has

finally responded to our cry. God is no longer just the God

to whom we repeat our supplications, asking for His

deliverance. God is no longer simply the God to whom we

complained, venting our frustration because “in the place

of judgment, wickedness was there” (Eccles. 3:16, NKJV).

Ultimately, God is the Judge who will bring justice to the

world and finally will restore the right order (Ps. 75:7,

10). The fourth, and last, psalm is the fulfillment of the

priestly blessing. God, full of merciful blessings, is

there among His people (Ps. 67:7).

Part II: Commentary

Psalm 46: God Is Our Refuge. This psalm is attributed to

the “sons of Korah,” who were Levites (1 Chron. 6:16, 22)

responsible for the music in the temple. This information

may explain the reference to the temple as “the holy place

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of the tabernacle of the Most High” (see Ps. 46:4, NKJV).

According to the psalm, the dangers that are encountered

here are of a double nature. They are not only of a natural

order, as in some kind of cosmic earthquake that involves

earthly and watery elements. Mountains also are shaken (Ps.

46:3), and mountains are removed into the midst of the sea

(Ps. 46:2). The cataclysmic dangers are also due to the

violent attack by human enemies, as we see in the phrase,

“the nations raged.” Their rage catalyzes a parallel

movement that culminates in the collapse of all earthly

kingdoms (Ps. 46:6, NKJV).

God’s people, the immediate victims of this double

disaster, are identified as the speakers of the psalm,

which contains their reaction to the apocalyptic

catastrophe: “we will not fear” (Ps. 46:2, NKJV). To the

double onslaught from nature and the nations, God’s people

respond with a double defense from both nature and God. On

one hand, the river from the city of God brings gladness

(Ps. 46:4). This flowing river evokes the healing waters

running out of the New Jerusalem and the rivers that flowed

from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:10). The same image

reappears in the book of Revelation to describe the New

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Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1). On the other hand, God Himself is

involved: God who stands in the midst of the holy city (Ps.

46:5) is called “our refuge,” which is qualified as “help

and strength” in the situation of trouble (Ps.46:1, NKJV).

Note the cosmic harmony between the God of creation and

nature: God controls the elements, just as Jesus did on the

sea (Matt. 8:27). The cosmic confrontation refers to the

last events of the great controversy, which will oppose the

camp of God represented by the holy mount (the heavenly

Zion) to the nations. The psalm resonates with the vision

of the apocalyptic prophecy of the last battle of human

history, as it is described in Daniel 11:45 and Revelation

16:16. The psalm ends with the assurance of God’s presence

“with us” (Ps. 46:11, NKJV).

Psalm 47: God Is Our King. Psalm 47 continues the hope that

was celebrated in the preceding psalm. The same Levitical

author from the sons of Korah sings of the victory of the

God of Zion. The God of the temple is sitting on His

throne, which is Zion. Now that triumph, complete victory,

has been achieved over the enemy, God is acclaimed as the

King. This psalm belongs to the series of psalms called

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“royal Psalms” or “enthronement Psalms,” which are

characterized by a general praise of God as King (see

Psalms 93, 96-99).

It is noteworthy that Psalm 47 was used later in the

Jewish liturgy of Rosh Hashanah (New Year’s Day), the first

day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, Tishri. The

blowing of the trumpet that is mentioned in Psalm 47:5

serves as the basis for blowing the shofar on that day, to

celebrate the hope that one day God will reign over all the

nations. Also, the nations who are now praising God are the

same nations who have been defeated in the war (Ps. 47:3).

The book of Revelation refers to the same phenomenon when

it speaks about the “healing of the nations” in the context

of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:2, NKJV). In ancient Israel,

the word “nations” (goyim) designated the enemies of

Israel. Now, in this new environment, the nations are no

longer identified against God’s people. They now have

become a part of God’s people.

The event of the Exodus is used as a template to

suggest, spiritually, the conquest of the new Canaan. The

parallel expressions “inheritance” and “the excellence of

Jacob” (Ps. 47:4, NKJV) refer to the conquest of the

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Promised Land, which included the surrounding nations that

had been conquered (see Deut. 32:8). The psalm concludes

with the eschatological vision of Israel, and all the

nations of the world, who recognize God’s sovereignty.

Psalm 75: God Is Our Judge. Psalm 75 is memorable for three

impressive images used to signify God’s three acts of

judgment. First, there is the image of the shaking of the

earth, which has crumbled and lost all its foundations (Ps.

75:3). It is as if the psalm described our world today,

full of chaos and disorder, a world that has lost all

stability and moral points, or pillars, of reference. God,

as Judge, reminds His people that He will restore the

stability of the “pillars” (Ps. 75:3, NKJV).

The second image is that of the cup full of very

strong wine that God pours out on the wicked. The wicked

drink this wine thoroughly (Ps. 75:8). Similarly, the book

of Revelation often refers to the cup of God’s wrath (Rev.

14:10, Rev. 16:19, Rev. 18:6).

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The third image is that of the horns (Ps. 75:10). The

horns are a symbol of power and dignity (Num. 23:22, Dan.

7:8).

At each stage, God’s judgment brings justice to the

distorted community. God “puts down” the boastful wicked

who “lifts” up his horn (Ps. 75:5, 10 NKJV). God also

exalts the righteous whose horn was thrown down (Ps.

75:10). The divine Judge restores, then, the order

overturned by the powers of evil.

The same hope is promised in the book of Ecclesiastes.

After having deplored the overturning of order on the

earth, Solomon hopes that “ ‘God shall judge the righteous

and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose

and for every work’ ” (Eccles. 3:17, NKJV; compare with

Eccles. 12:14). In echo of this sentiment, the angel of

Revelation 14 speaks about the same double judgment. On one

hand, the angel promises that those who worship the beast,

representing the deceptive church, “ ‘shall . . . drink of

the wine of the wrath of God’ ” (Rev. 14:10, NKJV). On the

other hand, those who worship the Lord of Creation are

described as the “saints . . . who keep the commandments of

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God and the faith of Jesus” and will “rest from their

labors” (Rev. 14:12, 13, NKJV).

Psalm 67: God Is Our Blessing. Psalm 67, which concludes

our series of psalms, is a prayer, as indicated by the

jussive verbs expressing the wish of the suppliant: “that

Your way may be known on earth” (Ps. 67:2, NKJV; compare

with Ps. 67:3, 5, 6, 7). This prayer for blessing reflects

the Aaronic blessing: “bless us, and cause His face to

shine upon us” (Ps. 67:1, NKJV; compare with Num. 6:23-26).

Although the speaker is not explicitly identified, the

superscription that refers to the chief musician and the

evocation of the priestly blessing suggest that it is a

priest leading a congregation. What makes this prayer

special is its universal scope. The psalm begins with a

call for self-blessing: “upon us” (Ps. 67:1), then after

the wish that God’s way “may be known on earth . . . among

all nations” (Ps. 67:2, NKJV), the prayer extends to all

the converted nations. This psalm has in view the

eschatological fulfillment when all the nations, and not

just Israel, will benefit from God’s blessing. This prayer

will be fulfilled only in the “New Jerusalem,” where there

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will be “no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it”

(Rev. 21:23, NKJV).

Part III: Life Application

We do not need to wait until the coming eschatological

persecution before we feel our need for God’s refuge now.

All kinds of present trouble qualify us for this need and

are opportunities to experience God’s refuge. In moments of

distress, we may feel threatened by our colleagues or our

friends who do not share our faith and may even mock and

plot against us. Or we may be beset by illness, failure on

an examination in school, a lack of money or financial

security, and loneliness. Any of these conditions may

qualify as opportunities to enable us to experience God’s

refuge. God alone can provide us the help we need to find a

way out of any trouble. Only He can give us the strength to

endure the difficulty.

The notion of “royalty” does not correspond to our

modern life. Yet, this is an important notion that will

help us in humiliating situations not to feel down and

desperate: the great King of all the earth is taking care

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of you. As His children, we will inherit His promise very

soon.

As we experience troubles and injustice, we can

meditate upon the following line from Ecclesiastes: “the

race is not to the swift. . . . but time and chance happen”

(Eccles. 9:11, NKJV). This observation of the inherent

unfairness of life should also remind us of the mechanism

of grace. We do not deserve the divine goodness and mercy

we have received. Therefore, we must depend on God’s grace.

God’s light is our light already, here and now. How may we

receive and enjoy God’s gift of mercy in our life now and

walk with trust and joy as we journey in His light?

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Key Text: 1 Corinthians 10:11, 12

Study Focus: Genesis 1, Revelation 21-22, Matt. 24:27,

Dan. 1:18, Dan. 12:13.

Part I: Overview

The blessed hope of humanity that culminates in last-day

events has been revealed, not just through prophecies

alone, which provide us with an explicit vision of the end.

God also spoke of the end, existentially and implicitly, in

the Scriptures, and thus, in His Word, He gives hints of

various aspects of eschatological history. This notion

teaches us an important principle: human history, which

unfolds from the holy pages of Scripture, is not simply

edifying information about what took place in the far

distant past, the knowledge of which ensures “that the man

of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good

work” (2 Tim. 3:17, NKJV). Because God’s intention for

humanity was, essentially, eternity, we may confidently

expect that the message of future eternity also is

contained in the biblical stories.

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The inspired author of the book of Ecclesiastes was

imbued with this intuition when he said, prophetically,

that God “has made everything beautiful in its time. Also

He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can

find out the work that God does from beginning to end”

(Eccles. 3:11, NKJV). To reiterate, because God’s intention

for humanity was essentially eternity, we may expect that

the message of future eternity is contained in the biblical

stories.

In this lesson, we shall discern the message of the

end within the actual events narrated in the Old Testament

Scriptures. The events of Creation, the Flood, the

destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and even the story of

Daniel in the court of Nebuchadnezzar testify to the

message of the end.

Part II: Commentary

The Event of Creation. Paradoxically, the Creation account

is perhaps the most eschatological message of all the

events reported in the Scriptures. The Creation account

holds this distinction precisely because it is the first

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event. Because history has a beginning, it is not eternal.

History also has an end. God presides over both. Given that

the beginning of history has been the work of God, the end

also is under His power.

As part of its eschatological significance, the

Creation account is linked implicitly with our hope of

eternity. Both the Creation account and our hope of

eternity have their basis in faith. The Scriptures testify

to this notion, which is already affirmed through the

canonical structure of the Bible itself, beginning with

God’s creation of the heavens and earth and ending with the

creation of new heavens and earth (Genesis 1 and Revelation

21-22; compare with Isa. 65:17, Rev. 21:1). We see this

idea also clearly stated in the only biblical definition of

faith, which associates the two events, Creation and our

hope in eternity: “Faith is the substance of things hoped

for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1, NKJV).

Note that this poem on faith begins with faith in Creation

(Heb. 11:3) and ends with hope in the “promise” (Heb.

11:39, 40, NKJV). We should also note the significance of

the Sabbath at the end of Creation. In this position, the

Sabbath points to the end of human history. Moreover, the

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Sabbath contains both our memory of Creation and our hope

in the future event of the kingdom of God.

The Flood. Understanding the event of the Flood in parallel

with the event of the Second Coming is recognized by Jesus

Himself: “ ‘As the days of Noah were, so also will the

coming of the Son of Man be’ ” (Matt. 24:37, NKJV). Jesus

then proceeds to unfold the similarities between the two

events: the sudden, cataclysmic nature of their

occurrences, the materialistic preoccupations of the people

prior to the earth’s destruction (eating, drinking,

marrying), the idea of a remnant, the certainty of the

event. The description of the Flood in the book of Genesis

points also to what will happen at the end of human

history. God does not remain indifferent to the evil of the

world. God is sensitive to the reality of evil. God’s

judgment responds to the “wickedness of man” that “was

great” (Gen. 6:5, NKJV). The destructive event of the Flood

is God’s assumed action of destruction: “ ‘I Myself am

bringing the flood’ ” (Gen. 6:17, NKJV). At the same time,

the Flood is also a creative-redemptive event, one in which

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God remembers His creatures. God’s act of remembering His

creatures is a way of expressing His attentive interest in

them (Gen. 8:1).

After the story of the end of antediluvian life and

civilization, God reaffirms the continuity of life. God

provides humanity with food and emphasizes the sacredness

of life (Gen. 9:4-7), thus pointing to His future gift of

eternal life.

And finally, we must consider the rainbow, an artistic

and poetic sign of God’s forgiveness and love. Note that

the rainbow invites us to remember the Sabbath, not only

because it comes at the corresponding place in the

structure that parallels the Creation story; but also,

because the rainbow contains similar messages of rest and

hope. It is particularly striking that the rainbow appears

surrounding God’s throne, as a sign of His future reign,

undisputed and uninterrupted, over all the earth (Rev. 4:3,

Rev. 10:1).

Sodom and Gomorrah. After God announced to Abraham the

promise of a son who would transmit the Messianic “seed”

for the blessing of all the nations (Gen. 12:3, Gen.

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22:18), the biblical narrative of redemption is interrupted

by a divine-human discussion concerning the troubling

presence of evil and wickedness. Just as God did with Noah,

He shares His concern with Abraham, along with His plan to

intervene. God’s move toward His human servant-prophets in

the time of both Noah and of Abraham may parallel a similar

move at the end of time in which God also shares with His

human servants His plan to return to save and to judge

humanity.

Abraham’s response to God’s intention showcases the

responsibility he feels for his generation, and thus it

deserves our attention. As such, his response should

inspire and nurture a similar response within us for

others. Note that upon hearing God’s intention to judge

Sodom, Abraham does not flee to a distant place. Abraham is

well informed of the situation in Sodom and Gomorrah,

wherein some of his relatives reside. Abraham’s acute

awareness of the situation of his relatives is not a

judgment against them. Out of love for them, Abraham stands

before God and mirrors God’s own mercy in challenging His

verdict, pleading with the Judge of all flesh for their

forgiveness. Note Abraham’s tenacity and perseverance in

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His prayer: “Abraham still stood before the LORD” (Gen.

18:22, NKJV). But also note Abraham’s sensitivity to the

direness of evil and to the need for justice and grace:

“ ‘Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?’ ”

(Gen. 18:23, NKJV).

A lesson also is to be taken from the actions of God,

who not only comes down and shares His view with His human

servant, but also seems to encourage his boldness. We may

even say that God likes being confronted by Abraham’s

argument because Abraham’s defense resonates with His own

sense of mercy. Indeed, we note that God’s last response is

the one of grace: “ ‘I will not destroy it for the sake of

ten’ ” (Gen. 18:32, NKJV). The number “ten” in the Bible

symbolizes the idea of the bare minimum required to do

something. Also note God’s sovereignty. He “went His way as

soon as He had finished speaking” (Gen. 18:33, NKJV). That

is, the decision still belongs to God. Regardless of human

zeal, it ultimately will not deter God’s will. With

humility, Abraham responds to God’s divine verdict:

“Abraham returned to his place” (Gen. 18:33, NKJV).

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Daniel. One particular illustration of the presence of the

future in Daniel’s present existence is the phrase “at the

end of the days” (Dan 1:18, NKJV). This phrase echoes the

phrase qets yamin “at the end of the days,” marking the end

of human history, at which time Daniel and the redeemed of

all ages will receive their “inheritance” (Dan. 12:13,

NKJV). It is also striking and significant that the

language describing Daniel’s “test” of ten days echoes the

language describing the prophecy of the eschatological Day

of Atonement, in Daniel 8:14. This prophecy parallels the

Day of Judgment in Daniel 7:9-12, signaled by the

significant number of common words and grammatical forms

that are shared between Daniel 1 and Leviticus 16, the

foundational text of the Day of Atonement (see Dan. 1:13;

compare with Lev. 16:2). This particular echo is certainly

significant, as it implies the promise of God’s revelation.

Also note the emphatic repetition of the word mar’eh,

“countenance, appearance” (three times in Dan. 1:13, 15),

which in the book of Daniel also refers specifically to the

eschatological vision of God’s revelation in the 2,300

evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:13, 26). This eschatological

perspective conveys, then, by association, a message of

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hope. Applied to the case of Daniel and his three friends,

these echoes convey the idea that God will be revealed

through this “test,” and they will be vindicated at the Day

of Atonement. For Daniel, the message of the end of times

was part of his present daily life: the way he ate and

drank pointed to the ideal of creation (see Dan. 1:12;

compare with Gen. 1:29). The way Daniel related to other

people, including the chief of the eunuchs who would have

been his enemy (Dan. 1:9), was shaped by his view of how

others were likewise created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26,

Gen. 9:6).

Part III: Life Application

1. Every morning, when you wake up, begin your prayers with

a moment of thanksgiving for the miracle of life. Ask the

God of creation to change your life. Let God change your

heart and give new direction to your life. Seek in the

Bible new ideas to challenge you and inspire you to change.

Keep the Sabbath in such a way that it becomes a foretaste

of the kingdom of God.

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2. Write a list of aspects of the world—both from creation

and in your personal life—that inspire your hope in the

kingdom of God. If you are an artist, draw and paint a

rainbow. If you are a poet, write a poem about the beauty

and the wonders of the rainbow. If you are a singer, sing a

song about the rainbow.

3. Pray to God about someone you do not like until he or

she becomes your friend. Pray to God concerning an

important obstacle in your life. Persistently repeat this

prayer until finally you see the actual result and you know

that God has, indeed, heard your prayer.

4. Why does Daniel’s use of eschatological language to

describe his present situation also give us hope and

assurance that our life has meaning and is open to

eternity? How does this language also give us guidance in

the way we live, eat and drink, think, enjoy life, and

relate to other people, including our enemies?

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Key Text: Esther 5:2

Study Focus: Ruth 1-2, 4, Esther 3:1–14

Part I: Overview

The Bible is full of women who played a significant role in

the Bible. Eve, whose name means “life,” for she was “the

mother of all living,” was the one who transmitted the

Messianic seed, which led to the birth of Jesus Christ, the

Savior of humanity (Gen. 3:15). In the patriarchal period,

such women as Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, as well as

Tamar, had a powerful impact on the course of salvation

history. Their actions ensured the continuation of the

Messianic line.

In the time of the Exodus, Israel owed its survival to

women when Pharaoh decreed the killing of all the newborn

male babies of Israel. The midwives (Exod. 1:15-17), and

even the daughter of Pharaoh (Exod. 2:5) and other women

(Exod. 2:7), are remembered in the Torah, the Pentateuch,

as those who were instrumental in saving Israel, often at

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the risk of their own lives. Later, Deborah, the prophetess

who judged Israel, is referred to as the one who “arose”

and saved Israel in war (Judg. 5:7, NKJV). Rahab saved the

spies and thus helped save Israel in their fight against

the Canaanites. According to Matthew’s genealogy (Matt.

1:5), Rahab was the mother of Boaz who married Ruth and

became an ancestor of the Messiah. In this lesson, we will

focus on two important women who gave their names to

biblical books: Ruth and Esther. Despite the difference in

the time and settings of their stories, in some ways these

two women exemplify the character of the many women who God

appointed to help save Israel.

Part II: Commentary

The history of ancient Israel may be said to be framed by

the stories of Ruth and Esther. Ruth belongs to “the days

when the judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1, NKJV), during the

earliest period of Israel, at a time when the Israelite

tribes were still settling in the Promised Land. Esther

belongs to the time of the Persian exile. Aspects of

Israel’s history are sometimes linked with the voice of a

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woman, which is significant, because, biblically, a woman

often symbolizes a church. One then may ask, in what way do

these two women typify God’s church, and what lessons may

we, as God’s last-day church, learn from them?

It is also noteworthy that nomadic societies tended to

give more importance to women than sedentary societies did.

In light of this tendency, today we may do well to consider

how the voices and influence of Ruth and Esther, and their

modern counterparts, may well be helpful in a world that

becomes increasingly unsettled and violent.

Ruth or the Power of Kindness. Reading the story of Ruth

through the lens of the plan of salvation during the end

times is illuminating. The name of Ruth comes from a root

meaning “friend, ally,” with the connotation of softness

and freshness. The main theme of the book is kindness.

There is no tension, no wicked person or a conflict or

criticism, or even implicit bitterness in the beautiful and

poetic story. Ruth is identified as a Moabitess, a

qualification that is used twice. The hero of the book is a

foreign woman. The message of kindness that permeates the

book is thus disconnected from any national belonging;

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kindness is universal and transcends the borders of all

nations.

The story tells us that this Moabitess was married to

an Israelite husband who died; she decides, then, to follow

her mother-in-law Naomi, not only in her physical journey

back to the land of Israel but also in her Israelite

religion: “ ‘Wherever you go, . . . I will go; your people

shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I

will die’ ” (Ruth 1:16, 17, NKJV). The story begins, then,

with an evangelistic success, although no report of the

missiological strategy is given. Ruth was not converted by

a sensational miracle in an evangelistic campaign. Ruth

simply followed her mother-in-law out of love for her

because she knew her and trusted her judgment.

Note that Naomi did not use any argument to convince

Ruth to stay. On the contrary, Naomi even encouraged Ruth

to return to her mother’s house (Ruth 1:8). Naomi stopped

arguing with Ruth only when she “saw that she was

determined to go with her” (Ruth 1:18, NKJV).

The next step of the story takes us to Boaz, Naomi’s

kinsman, a wealthy farmer of whom Ruth humbly asks

permission to glean some grain from his fields. The story

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says that Boaz spoke “ ‘kindly’ ” to her (Ruth 2:13, NKJV),

and was generous with her (Ruth 2:8). It happens that Boaz

is the only near kinsman who is willing to fulfill his

responsibility as the go’el, the redeemer of the family.

The verb “redeem” is a keyword of the passage (Ruth 4:4, 7,

NKJV).

Note Ruth’s zeal and boldness in approaching her

redeemer. Also note her humility, as she acknowledges her

modest origins as a “ ‘foreigner’ ” (Ruth 2:10, NKJV), and

her unworthiness in that she is “ ‘not like one of your

maidservants’ ” (Ruth 2:13, NKJV). Note, too, her kindness

toward her mother-in-law, a kindness that has been remarked

upon by many people, including Boaz, her potential redeemer

(Ruth 2:12). The biblical author never refers to Ruth’s

faithfulness in her religious and ritual duties, as if her

kindness toward others was enough evidence to convince her

redeemer of her devotion.

The conclusion of the story is all the more striking;

not only did Ruth marry Boaz, thus restoring the dignity of

her family, but she received the greatest reward a family

could receive, namely, its place in the genealogy of the

Messiah. The legacy of the book is of high significance.

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Ruth was accepted in Israel, despite her foreign origin—

perhaps, and paradoxically, because of her foreign origin,

as emphasized in the book (Ruth 1:4, 22; Ruth 2:2, 6, 10-

13, 21; Ruth 4:5, 10). In Jewish liturgy, the book of Ruth

is read during the feast of Shavuot, also known as the

feast of weeks or Pentecost, a celebration that is

associated with the harvest and the gift of the law.

Esther or the Power of Beauty. Equally inspiring, as well

as challenging, is reading the book of Esther in light of

God’s plan of salvation during the last days of human

history. Challenging because the book of Esther reads like

a secular book, with no explicit religious content

whatsoever. There is no reference to God. The course of

events seems to run by itself, with no divine, miraculous

intervention. All that transpires in the story depends on

the shrewdness of Mordecai, a royal courtier, and on the

beauty and bravery of Queen Esther, as well as upon timing

(Esther 3:7, Esther 9:24). The roles of priest and prophet

are totally absent from the story. Even the end of the

story, with the killing of many people, raises suspicions

about its spiritual value. More important, Esther and

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Mordecai’s Jewish identity did not prevent them from

reaching the highest positions in the pagan court. Neither

does anything in the book suggest a tension between them

and that environment. No wonder many ancient rabbis and

church fathers question the spiritual value of the book,

even denying its canonical place.

Yet, this book is also an inspiration, precisely

because of the problematic elements just mentioned above.

The lack of reference to God is, in fact, an important

element that makes this book significant and relevant for

us who live today in a secular and troubled world. The

experience of the silence of God is already a paradoxical

component of His providential presence. It happens that

Esther is a queen at the very moment when the people are

threatened. It also happens that the king, during a bout of

insomnia, discovers an act of Mordecai’s loyalty, which had

saved the king’s life. On the other hand, the text clearly

suggests that the Jewish people are protected. If Esther

does not speak to the king, if she remains silent,

“ ‘deliverance will arise . . . from another place’ ”

(Esther 4:14, NKJV). Likewise, Jesus in His time uses a

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similar argument: “ ‘If these would keep silent, the stones

should immediately cry out’ ” (Luke 19:40, NKJV).

Some commentators find evidence of God’s providence in

the name of Esther, which they relate to the concept of

hester panim, “hiding of the face,” an important dimension

of God’s relationship with His people when He seems to be

absent (see Isa. 8:17, Isa. 50:6, Isa. 53:3). The allusion

to the Day of Atonement has also been noted on the basis of

common elements, such as fasting, the idea of judgment, and

the redemption of God’s people versus the destruction of

the wicked. The ancient rabbis have supported this

connection on the basis of the play on the words pur,

“lot,” with the word kippur, the Day of Atonement. Also,

the book of Esther ends with the same hope and perspective

of “peace” and the seeking of “good” (Esther 10:3; compare

with Ps. 122:8, 9, NKJV) as in the Day of Atonement.

Part III: Life Application

How may the following contemplations on Ruth and Esther be

applied to your life?

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Ruth: The fact that we believe that we belong to God’s

people and are very religious should not make us sad,

angry, or proud, but implies a serious code of ethics. Just

as Ruth was kind and friendly with people around her, we

should strive to be kind and friendly to other people in

our family and in the society around us. Also note Ruth’s

humility. Ruth does not boast about her qualities or about

her piety. Instead, Ruth feels unworthy and never judges

others. Ruth is not involved in religious activism; she is

not legalistic, thinking that she deserves salvation on the

basis of her works. She counts only on the grace of her

mother-in-law and of the kinsman. Lastly, note that Naomi’s

missionary method is essentially comprised of her gracious

attitude and acts of kindness.

Esther: The story of Esther resonates well with life

in our modern and secular world. Wherever we are, and

whatever we do—in the office, on the road, in college or

even in the family, amid our most menial tasks and humble

duties—our presence is important and determines the

salvation of others: Who knows whether we have come to a

given place for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). Be wise:

we do not always need to reveal immediately our religious

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identity (Esther 2:10, 20). Make yourself lovable, as did

Esther (Esther 2:17). Vow to do whatever you can to solve

your troubles and trust in God’s grace to reverse the

course of events.

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Key Text: 2 Timothy 1:7

Study Focus: Dan. 2:31–45, Rev. 13:11–17.

Part I: Overview

For the last two weeks, we studied biblical stories and

psalms that contained allusions to future prophecy. Yet,

these projections into the future were just indirect

insights that prepared us to receive and to understand the

message of prophecy. In this lesson, we will pay attention

to prophecies that explicitly refer to the time of the end.

We must remember that the Bible is not just a book of

beautiful stories, written for our entertainment. Nor is

the Bible simply a book of spiritual and moral edification.

What makes the Bible unique is its message of hope: God

will save the world at the end of time.

The message of hope, of course, is present in

different forms throughout the Scriptures. But it is

particularly the two apocalyptic books, Daniel and

Revelation, that focus on the ultimate fate of the world.

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These two books are inter-related and therefore will be

consulted in connection with each other. The lesson this

week will first embrace the general line of the prophetic

events, as revealed in Daniel’s prophecy of the statue

(Dan. 2:31-45). Then we will consider the last days of

human history. We will see how Daniel’s prophecy will

disclose the power of evil and denounce its mentality,

which was already displayed by the Babylonian kings (Daniel

3). The prophecy will then reach its fulfillment in the

little horn of chapters 7 and 8, and in the beast of

Revelation 13 and 14.

Part II: Commentary

The Mentality of Babel. The book of Daniel begins with an

allusion to the story of the tower of Babel. As the prophet

reports the event of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against

Jerusalem, he mentions the rare and antique word Shinar,

the very name that referred to the place where the builders

of Babel built their tower (Gen. 11:2, NKJV). This specific

reference reveals, from the beginning of the book, the

intention of the biblical author to associate

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Nebuchadnezzar’s move to bring the articles of the temple

of Jerusalem to his place, Babylon (Shinar), with the

builders of the tower of Babel.

In Daniel 2, the same king has a dream that troubles

him. Daniel, who has been called to interpret the dream,

explains to the king that the God of heaven sent this dream

to help him understand, and realize, the iniquity of “the

thoughts of your heart” (Dan. 2:30, NKJV). Nebuchadnezzar

had indeed the same mentality as the builders of the tower

of Babel. As Nebuchadnezzar brought the articles of the

temple to his own temple, he in fact demonstrated the same

intention to take God’s place. From the very beginning,

Daniel discloses, then, the key to the dream. This dream

concerns first the king’s “Babel” mentality. Later on, in

Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar’s behavior will confirm this

judgment (see below). In fact, this denunciation

constitutes the main thread that weaves throughout the

whole prophecy of the kingdoms of the earth.

In his first line, Daniel points out Nebuchadnezzar’s

pride and usurpation: on one hand, Daniel calls the king by

his regular title, “king of kings,” as if he were the one

who ruled over other kings. On the other hand, Daniel

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clearly identifies “ ‘the God of heaven’ ” as the only One

to whom the king owes his power (Dan. 2:37, NKJV). Daniel

describes the king as if he were the Creator Himself (at

least, along the lines of Nebuchadnezzar’s thinking); at

the same time, Daniel reminds the king that it is the God

of heaven who gave him all that he has (Dan. 2:38).

Then, Daniel announces that the following world

kingdoms will be inferior to Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom,

implying, again, that they were just as human and

transitory as he and his kingdom are. Significantly, the

end of the kingdoms is characteristic of the same mentality

that defined Babel: the leaders of the kingdoms will

attempt to unite their realms and consolidate their power,

just as the builders of the tower of Babel did (Gen. 11:4).

It is noteworthy that the main characteristics of this

process to attempt to mingle together started right after

the fall of pagan Rome (Dan. 2:41) and lasted until the end

of time, as implied in the phrase that introduces the rise

of God’s kingdom: “ ‘In the days of these kings shall the

God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be

destroyed’ ” (Dan. 2:44).

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It is interesting to note that the last scene of the

vision climaxes with the crushing of all the kingdoms.

The Usurping Power. In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar immediately

(ironically) discredits the judgment just learned from his

dream. He will indeed work hard to take the place of the

God of heaven. The dream clearly indicates that “ ‘the God

of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be

destroyed’ ” (Dan. 2:44, NKJV, emphasis supplied); in

contradistinction to God’s will, Nebuchadnezzar endeavors

to “set up” an image of gold that will represent himself,

the “ ‘head of gold’ ” (Dan. 2:38, NKJV). Except that

Nebuchadnezzar is not just content to be the head of gold,

as the dream indicated; he now styles himself an eternal

king, whose empire will last forever, indicated by his

erecting a statue of solid gold. In essence, Nebuchadnezzar

“set up” his image to replace the everlasting kingdom of

God. Note the use of the same verb “set up.” The story does

not stop there with Nebuchadnezzar’s usurpation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s next step was the violent persecution

of all those who would not bow before his image. The story

tells us that three Hebrews refuse to worship the image;

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and as a result, they are threatened with death, namely to

“ ‘be cast . . . into the midst of a burning fiery

furnace’ ” (Dan. 3:6, NKJV). All kinds of strategies are

used to convince the Hebrews to bow. The threat of death is

explicitly represented by the furnace at the feet of the

image. The power of administration at all levels is

employed to ensure the control of all the various layers of

the population. The power of mass media is used to reach

out to the people in all parts of the empire. Even the

power of music and art is used to influence and control the

emotions.

According to the report of their resistance, these

three Hebrews did not waver in their conviction to stand

true to God. The two camps of worshipers, the camp of Babel

and the camp of the three Hebrews, were thus clearly

delineated and contrasted: the camp of Babel is noisy. They

“cried aloud” (Dan. 3:4, NKJV). The camp of God is silent:

“ ‘We have no need to answer’ ” (Dan. 3:16, NKJV). The camp

of Babel is powerful: it is comprised of “satraps,”

“administrators,” etc. (Dan. 3:2, NKJV). The camp of God is

humble and lowly in eminence: they are simply identified as

“ ‘certain Jews’ ” (Dan. 3:12, NKJV). The camp of Babel is

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numerous: it is composed of “all the people” (Dan. 3:7,

NKJV). The camp of God is only “three men” (Dan. 3:23,

NKJV). The camp of Babel is present oriented: “When all the

people heard . . . all the people . . . worshiped” (Dan.

3:7, NKJV). The camp of God is future oriented: “ ‘God . .

. is able to deliver us’ ” (Dan. 3:17, NKJV). The people of

the camp of Babel are legalistic and obey out of fear and

self-interest. The people of the camp of God serve God by

grace, even if He should choose not to deliver them (Dan.

3:18).

The Little Horn and the Beast. The characters of usurpation

and persecution are more vivid and explicit. The little

horn claims to be divine, and its arrogance and usurpation

are very pronounced (Dan. 7:25, NKJV). The connection

between usurpation and persecution is also present (Dan.

8:24, 25).

The book of Revelation repeats the same apocalyptic

scenario, yet with different symbolism. Right after the

same four animals that we first saw in Daniel 7, the

apocalyptic revelation identifies a power of usurpation,

which is identified as a beast. Like the little horn of

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Daniel 7 and 8, this beast claims to be divine (Rev. 13:4)

and persecutes God’s people (Rev. 13:5, 7). This rapid

survey of the prophecy is necessary for us to understand

the prophetic word of warning and to encourage God’s people

(2 Tim. 1:7).

Part III: Life Application

1. While the little horn and the beast represent a clear

historical entity, the Catholic Church, how should we

respond to this identification? How should we relate to

Catholic people? Identify the mentality of Babel in history

(in the Catholic Church, but also in any totalitarian

regime). Analyze the potential mechanism of Babel in your

church and in your personal character; in your relationship

with other people; in the context of your family or in the

context of your work; and in the way you treat your

employees, your spouse, and your children. How do we shift

from a Babel mentality to a biblical mindset?

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2. Compare the camp of Babel and the camp of the three

Hebrews. Consider each aspect of that comparison and draw

lessons for application: How does this comparison affect

your church life? What can we learn from these examples for

our worship services? How does the way we play music or the

way we preach play a role in how we worship the Creator?

What lesson do you learn from the observation that the camp

of God is always a minority? How do you apply this truth to

the use of the argument of the majority in support of

theological truth? Discuss with your class members the need

to be future-oriented rather than present oriented. How

does future-or present-oriented thinking affect your

choices in ethical and marital decisions? A future-oriented

perspective obliges us to consider the aftermath of our

actions. Present-oriented thinking that focuses on the

immediate reward ends up being shallow, selfish,

materialistic, and even dangerous for us and others.

Discuss.

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Key Text: Jonah 1:9

Study Focus: Matt. 12:38–42, Jon. 3:5–10, Rev. 18:4, Dan.

5:1–31.

Part I: Overview

Because the Bible essentially is about the kingdom of God,

its central message is oriented toward the end and the

heavenly kingdom of God. This eschatological illumination

is testified to, and revealed, in the apocalyptic

prophecies of the Bible, which clearly and explicitly

disclose the end-time scenario. This revelation also is

found elsewhere in the Scriptures through specific events

of judgment and salvation that shall transpire in the end

times.

In this week’s lesson, three of these events have been

selected that have one particular trait in common: they all

take place at the end of the history of biblical Israel and

involve the Gentiles, the “nations” (compare with Gen.

12:3, Gen. 22:18). The first event is dramatic: this is the

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judgment and repentance of the whole people of Nineveh,

following the prophet Jonah’s reluctant evangelistic

campaign. The second event is tragic: this is the event of

the judgment and non-repentance of Belshazzar that ends

with the loss of his kingdom. And the third event is

glorious: this is the salvation of God’s people, thanks to

the contribution of the Persian king Cyrus. That the end

times are the occasion of the salvation of the nations, who

finally join the ranks of Israel, is surprising; yet, it is

symptomatic of the cosmic character of the eschatological

moment, according to Paul’s prediction: “until the fullness

of the Gentiles has come in. And so, all Israel will be

saved” (Rom. 11:25, 26, NKJV).

Part II: Commentary

The Judgment of Nineveh. The prophet Jonah, who was the

Israelite missionary to the people of Nineveh, tells us the

story of his success-failure. God called him to move from

his place in Gath Hepher (2 Kings 14:25, NKJV), a little

town in the northern part of ancient Israel during the time

of Jeroboam II, in the eighth century B.C. (785 B.C.). This

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time is described in the book of Kings as a bad time for

Israel, whose unfaithfulness kindled God’s anger against

them (2 Kings 13:3). Yet, “the LORD did not say that He

would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven” (2

Kings 14:27, NKJV). Instead, God “saved them” from the

enemy (2 Kings 14:27, NKJV).

Ironically, it is during this particular time in which

Israel was unfaithful that God called Jonah to go to

Nineveh in order to preach to its citizens and urge them to

repent. Jonah tells us that the whole city did repent, much

to his deep dismay. Jonah was so upset by God’s call to

mission that he refused to obey. Instead of traveling north

to Nineveh, as God instructed, Jonah chose to travel south

to Joppa, and then embarked to Tarshish.

The book of Jonah tells us, then, how Jonah ended up

in the belly of a big fish, which vomited him out on dry

land (Jon. 2:10). Jonah is remembered as the prophet who

was swallowed by a big fish because he refused to go warn

the city of Nineveh about God’s judgment. Ironically, the

cuneiform language of the people of Nineveh preserved the

memory of this wonder: the cuneiform representation of the

name of Nineveh means “big fish in the city.” It is as if

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the very name of the city itself suggests the lengths to

which God, disappointed by His own people, would go to save

a Gentile nation who would be more responsive to His mercy.

The story of Jonah at Ninevah is an illustration of

how God deals with His people and with the nations. In it

we clearly see how God extends grace to sinners and how He

still punishes them for their unforsaken sins.

The Judgment of Belshazzar. The story of the judgment of

the Babylonian king Belshazzar follows the story of

Nebuchadnezzar’s judgment and repentance, as if the

biblical author intended to bring out the contrast between

the two Babylonian kings. While both kings are proud and

sin against God, the two kings do not receive the same

judgment. Nebuchadnezzar is forgiven, and the chapter

reporting his experience ends with his song praising God,

who is able to abase the proud (Dan. 4:37). On the other

hand, Belshazzar who knew about his forefather’s experience

(Dan. 5:22) refuses to repent. On the contrary, he

willfully repeats Nebuchadnezzar’s actions of usurpation

(see lessons 5 and 12) and goes even further than his

forefather in his iniquity. While Nebuchadnezzar’s

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intention was only to bring the vessels of the temple into

his own temple, Belshazzar drinks, and gets drunk, out of

those vessels. Nebuchadnezzar contents himself with

dismissing the other metals of the statue (see Daniel 3)

and retains only the gold, which represents himself. In the

end, he finally understands his foolishness and directs his

praise to the God of heaven who “lives forever” (Dan. 4:34,

NKJV).

Belshazzar, on the other hand, praises all the gods

represented by these metals (Dan. 5:4). Belshazzar

intentionally insults God. It is at that moment of his

praise of the idols that a hand appears on the white wall

and writes God’s judgment against him.

Even the respective denouement of the story arc of

each king marks the contrast between them. Nebuchadnezzar,

who was forced to creep on the ground like an animal as a

result of divine judgment against his pride, recovers his

standing position. Then his “honor and splendor” were

returned to him (Dan. 4:36, NKJV). Belshazzar, who was

sitting on the throne and had been so sure of himself, now

cannot stand up and does not control himself, his knees

knocking against each other: “the king cried aloud” (Dan.

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5:7, NKJV). The king calls his wise men for help, for he

cannot read the inscription that the mysterious hand has

written on the wall. Even his wise men are not able to

understand it.

Then the queen mother, Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter and

Nabonidus’ wife, comes and testifies of Daniel’s superior

capacity, thus reminding Belshazzar of Nebuchadnezzar’s

spiritual experience. Daniel, the representative of the God

whom the king had insulted, is the only one who will be

able to read and interpret the inscription of judgment,

which predicts the end of Belshazzar’s kingdom (Dan. 5:26-

29). The three words of the inscription on the wall

encapsulate the judgment against Belshazzar and thus convey

an idea about what the judgment will constitute: “numbered”

means accountability; “weighed” indicates evaluation; and

“divided” means “rejection.”

The Judgment of Cyrus. The Persian king Cyrus occupies a

unique place in the Scriptures. Cyrus is the only Gentile

person who receives the title of “Messiah,” or anointed,

(Isa. 45:1, NKJV). The Bible goes so far as to relate Cyrus

to the Messianic Savior, Christ Himself. Beyond the

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salvation of Israel from exile in Babylon by the messiah

Cyrus, the prophet Daniel sees the universal Messiah who

will deliver humans from the grasp of evil. Furthermore,

the prophet does not just predict the event.

By paralleling the 70 years of Cyrus with the 70 weeks

of Babylonian captivity, Daniel alerts the reader to the

fact that these weeks are to be interpreted prophetically.

The 70 years refer to literal years leading to the coming

of the messiah Cyrus (Isa. 45:1), who restored historical

Israel to ancient Palestine. Indeed, the messiah Cyrus

supports the historical character of the Messiah Jesus

Christ and His event of salvation. The 70 weeks (of years)

are prophetic weeks leading to the coming of the universal

Messiah, who will save the world from sin and, thus,

through atonement, provide forgiveness for sin. This

parallel between the two messiahs also is found in the book

of Isaiah, wherein the messiah Cyrus, in Isaiah 45, and the

Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 echo each other on a

significant number of linguistic and thematic levels.

The messiah Cyrus played a decisive role in the fall

of Babylon, the archenemy of Israel; he also restored

Israel to their land (Ezra 1:1-3) and even assisted the

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Jews in the rebuilding of the temple of Jerusalem under

Joshua the high priest (Ezra 3:2, 3). Significantly, the

book of Revelation parallels Cyrus’s achievement with

Christ’s second coming. The event of the drying of the

Euphrates that allowed the king of the east, Cyrus, to

enter and cause the city of Babylon to fall serves as a

template to describe the coming of Christ at the time of

the end (Rev. 16:12). Cyrus prepared the ground for the

future coming of Christ and the salvation of humanity.

Moreover, Cyrus was a type of Christ. The role Cyrus played

in the first coming of Christ may well hint at the scenario

that may take place at the end of time in connection with

the second coming of Christ. Thus, we may well conjecture

that the last events of salvation will involve individuals

outside of the regular ecclesiastic pattern.

Part III: Life Application

1. In what ways is the example of Jonah a warning against

religious biases? Discuss.

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2. While the church may fail in consistently

demonstrating righteousness, how may the people of the

world, on the contrary, succeed? As Jesus pointed out

to the religious people of His time, “ ‘Tax collectors

and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you’ ”

(Matt. 21:31, NKJV). What did Jesus mean by these

words?

3. That justice is also a part of judgment is a guarantee

of God’s seriousness in His act of salvation, which

aims at the total eradication of evil and death. In

what ways is the tension between justice and grace

also a message of comfort and hope?

4. Why can we be saved only on the basis of God’s mercy

and not on the basis of our merits?

5. There are two important truths that we must understand

about God’s judgment in the end times: first, everyone

will be informed and warned; second, there will come a

time when it will be too late to repent. Apply the

significance of the three words of the wall

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inscription to the church at the end times: “numbered”

means that we are accountable for all that we do and

don’t do; “weighed” means that the “good” and the

“evil” will be sorted out (only God has that power of

discernment); “divided” means that salvation is given

to others.

6. Read the following encouragement from Ellen White:

“The time is not far off when the people of God will

be called upon to give their testimony before the

rulers of the earth. . . . There is no time for

vanity, for trifling, for engaging the mind in

unimportant matters.”—The Advent Review and Sabbath

Herald, April 26, 1892. How does this quote encourage

you to share God’s last-day message and warnings with

people in positions of authority and power?

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