Friday, February 1
Read Ellen G. White, “The World’s Need”, pp. 457-460, in Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers.
The vision of the opening of the seven seals points symbolically to God’s care for, and discipline of, His people on earth. As Kenneth A. Strand has pointed out:
“In Scripture there is assurance that God has always cared for His people: that in history itself He is ever present to sustain them, and that in the great eschatological denouement He will give them full vindication and an incomprehensibly generous reward in life everlasting. The book of Revelation picks up and expands beautifully this same theme, and thus Revelation is not by any means some sort of offbeat apocalypse that is out of tune with biblical literature in general; it conveys the very heart and substance of the biblical message. Indeed, as Revelation emphatically points out, the ‘Living One’ - the One who conquered death and the grave (1:18) - will never forsake His faithful followers and that even when they suffer martyrdom they are victorious (12:11), with the ‘crown of life’ awaiting them (see 2:10; 21:1-4; and 22:4)”. - Kenneth A. Strand, “The Seven Heads: Do They Represent Roman Emperors?” in Symposium on Revelation - Book 2, Daniel and Revelation Committee Series (Silver Spring, Md.: Biblical Research Institute, 1992), vol. 7, p. 206.
Discussion Questions:
What valuable lessons have you learned from the scene of the opening of the seven seals? How does it show you that, no matter how bad things are on earth, God is still sovereign, and ultimately, all the promises that we have in Christ will be fulfilled?
Reflect on the following statement: “The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world”. - Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 9. Think of your local church. How could it be more faithful in order to reach people with the gospel message?
In class, bring your answer to Thursday’s final question: Who can endure the day of His coming, and why can they endure? Discuss the implications of your answer in terms of how we should be living today in order to be prepared for the day of His coming.
