Lesson 13 (Mar 23-29), I Make All Things New

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb

1. When is the wedding of Christ and the church?
2. Are God's people guests at the wedding or the "bride" at the wedding, or both?
3. Are the righteous to wear the appropriate robe for guests, or the spotless robe as a bride?

Armageddon Ends

1. Why would a sword be in the mouth of a rider?
2. When does Armageddon begin?
3. When does the great controversy end?
4. Are the righteous ever expected to fight the wicked physically?

The Millenium

1. Why is the one thousand years considered literal years and not symbolic?
2. What kind of doubts regarding God's justice are the righteous in heaven permitted to have?

A New Heaven and a New Earth

1. How many heavens are there? Which ones will be made new?
2. Could there literally be no sea in the new earth? What could John have meant? How is the sea a negative image?
3. Why is pain and sorrow not eradicated at the second coming itself?

The New Jerusalem

1. Why does the New Jerusalem need a high wall?
2. What is the purpose of having a New Jerusalem?
3. What blessings accrue for those who read the Book of Revelation? 
4. What does one miss by neglecting to read Revelation?

Lesson 12 (Mar 16-22), Judgment on Babylon

The Harlot Babylon

1. Why would political powers be interested in associating with religious powers?
2. If political powers would ally with the true religion would that be acceptable? Would forced worship on the seventh day (such as in Nepal), bring on God's seal?
3. Why do we associate the term "drunk" with power?

The Harlot Riding on the Scarlet Beast

1. Why is harlotry considered the extremity of sin?
2. Why would a harlot be clothed in such colours as purple and scarlet? How much does colour reveal about a person?
3. Why do people kill in the name of religion? Is there anything that causes more deaths than religion?

The Identification of the Scarlet Beast

1. What makes ecumenism so attractive? 
2. Why are Adventists so against ecumenism?
3. Has the Adventist church isolated itself too much from other Christians?

The Seven Heads of the Beast

1. Why is the Roman empire considered the last in history? What about the British Empire? The Spanish? The French? The Russian?
2. Why is the European Union not considered in relation to Bible prophecy?

The Judgment of Babylon

1. What will make the people realize in the end that they have been deceived?
2. Do the leaders of false religions know that they are misleading people or are they convinced they have the truth?

Lesson 11 (Mar 9-15), The Seven Last Plagues

The Meaning of the Seven Last Plagues

1. Why doesn't Jesus come as soon as probation closes? Why does the earth have to undergo the seven last plagues?
2. Why do we understand the seven last plagues to be all just before the second coming rather than spread out through history as the seven trumpets and seven churches?

The Outpouring of the Last Plagues

1. What purpose did the ten plagues which were poured upon Egypt serve? What similarities can we see between the purpose of those plagues before that exodus and these before the exodus to the heavenly Canaan?
2. Are we to understand these plagues as literal or symbolic? For example, what are we to make of rivers turning to blood?

Drying up of the Euphrates River

1. How is the drying up of the river connected to the fall of Babylon? What can a city do to prevent its rivers from drying up while still benefitting from them?
2. How is Babylon able to deceive so many people? Is there any excuse for being deceived? What can we do to keep from being deceived?

Satan's Last Great Deception

1. What would you imagine the reaction of the captive Israelites in Babylon to be as an enemy approached to attack the city, and as they actually overthrew Babylon?
2. How can a knowledge of Scripture have helped them be confident about current affairs?
3. Why would some people doubt that the Bible could have foretold by actual name "Cyrus" the deliverer of the Israelites?

Gathering for the Battle of Armageddon

1. Why would God use as a name for the battle a fictitious place?
2. How would God select the name Armageddon which means "mountain of Megiddo" when there is no mountain in the plain of Megiddo?
3. What connection to Armageddon can we trace through a famous event that took place on the nearby Mt Carmel? How was that a precursor of the Battle of Armageddon? 
4. Will the righteous be expected to fight the wicked in that Battle?

Lesson 8 (Mar 2-8), God's Everlasting Gospel

The Three Angel's Messages

1. What does "everlasting" mean? In what ways is the gospel from "everlasting to everlasting?"
2. If the three angels are giving the messages, how are we involved? 
3. Why do the angels give the messages with a "loud" voice? What do we understand by the term "loud?"

The First Angel's Message

1. Does the word "fear" in "fear God," convey the intention correctly, or can a better word be used?
2. What is the connection between "fear" and "give glory?"
3. Can we know when the judgement is to begin? For how long can something be "at hand?"
4. How does each of the first four commandments connect to the idea of "worshiping" God? 
5. Is worship on the seventh day automatically a sign of relationship with God?
6. How true is the statement that if the Sabbath had been kept properly, there would have been no theory of evolution?

The Second Angel's Message

1. Why is Babylon associated with false religion? Is it more false than other nations?
2. How is an apostate Christian religion more of a threat to God's remnant than a heathen religion?
3. How will we know when Babylon falls? 

The Third Angel's Message

1. Can an Adventist be unknowingly a worshiper of the beast?
2. How can a kind and loving God burn his creatures with sulphur? What purpose does it serve?
3. Wouldn't an eternal fire be a better deterrent against sin and evil than a fire that burns itself out? 

Lesson 9 (Feb 23-Mar 1), Satan and HIs Allies

The Beast From the Sea

1. In a narrative such as in apocalyptic literature, does everything have to have symbolic meaning? 
2. Are the numbers 7 and 10 to be understood literally or do they also have symbolic meaning? For example would Job have had seven sons and three daughters? Would Job's cattle have literally numbered seven thousand and three thousand, and five hundred and five hundred? Wouldn't the number have changed daily? Further, if those are symbolic, what about his 7 sons and 3 daughters? 
3. Why did John use mythological beasts? Could he have remained within the realm of natural ones?

The Activities of the Sea Beast

1. Is 42 months/1260 days/3 1/2 years a literal time period or could it be symbolic since 3 1/2 is half of seven? 
2. Is there anything good in Roman Catholicism? What about their worship? 
3. Could there ever be a "dark age" in our church or are we safe?

The Beast Arising Out of the Earth

1. How can a "mortal" wound heal?
2. What has caused the United States to change from the character of a lamb to that of the dragon? Can it ever become lamb-like again? Should true Christians try to regain the past, or is it impossible?

The Image of the Beast

1. Why do practically all Christians besides Adventists follow the Catholics in keeping Sunday holy?
2. How should we address Roman Catholic priests? Is it wrong to call him "Father . . . ?"
3. Which should we fear more, the beast, or the image to the beast?

The Mark of the Beast

1. What is the value of a mark if it is not visible?
2. Has the Seal of God ever been anything other than the Sabbath? Will there be people in heaven who have not known about the seventh-day sabbath?
3. What makes 6 a significant number? What are examples of 6 in everyday life? Why are there so many 6's all around us?