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Lesson 4: The Gift of Prophecy and God's Remnant *

Introduction: Throughout Biblical history, we find that God works with a specific group of people to advance His kingdom. Is this still true? Will it be true in the days before the close of earth's history? Since these are the people who speak for God, wouldn't it seem reasonable that the gift of prophecy would be a special gift to this remnant group? Let's dive into the Bible and see what it teaches on this topic!



  1. The Woman and the Dragon


    1. Read Revelation 12:1-2 and Revelation 12:5. The only certain thing in these verses is that this woman gives birth to Jesus. From that fact, who do you think the woman represents? Is this Mary, the woman who actually gave birth to Jesus? Is this Israel, the nation which gave birth to Jesus? Is this a reference to the Christian church, which seems to be the majority view?


      1. What are the arguments against this woman being Mary? ( Revelation 12:1 hardly seems to be a description of a human.)


      2. What are the arguments against this being the Christian church? (Jesus gave birth to the Christian church, not the other way around.)


      3. What are the arguments against this woman being Israel? Could the twelve stars be the twelve tribes? (The argument that Israel killed Jesus is as strong as the argument that it gave birth to Jesus. Given this entire history, it seems odd that this woman would represent all of Israel.)


      4. What if the woman represented some distillation of all three: specifically the humans who were faithful to God? Would Mary be one of them? Would some of Israel qualify? Would some in the early church qualify? (This introduces the "remnant" concept very early on. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was one person with whom God had a special relationship. She represents the faithful among humans. The twelve stars then can be understood to be the apostles - some from Israel in the early church who were faithful. Being clothed with "the sun" is a reference to the relationship Jesus has with His faithful. The woman standing on the moon (which reflects the light of the sun)is an indication the faithful reflect Jesus in their lives.)


    2. Read Revelation 12:3-4 and Revelation 12:7-9. Who is the big red dragon? (The Bible specifically tells us it is Satan.)


      1. What does it mean that "the tail" of the dragon swept a third of the stars from the sky? (Satan won the allegiance of one-third of the angels in heaven. They, like Satan, were cast to earth after they lost their battle against God. They lost the battle for heaven.)


  2. The Dragon's Hunt


    1. Read Revelation 12:4-6. What was Satan's plan for Jesus? Did he accomplish his plan? (Satan wanted to kill Jesus. He accomplished this plan.)


      1. As you think about Jesus' life, was killing all that Satan had in mind? (No. Satan wanted to trick Jesus into giving Satan His allegiance. Satan wanted to inflict pain, mental distress and humiliation.)


    2. Read Revelation 12:13-15. We find two time references: 1,260 days and "a time, times, and half a time." What does "a time" mean? (Many commentators have said that "a time" means a year. This would be 3.5 years or 42 months or 1,260 days. Thus, the two time references are the same!)


      1. What happens during this time? (It seems to be a period of safety for the remnant.)


    3. Read Daniel 7:23-25. We see the same time reference in Daniel and we see a beast that seems similar to our Revelation dragon. The problem is that we see persecution of the saints, not a safe place for them. Can you reconcile these two ideas: persecution and sanctuary? (Commentaries such as Barnes' Notes, Matthew Henry and Adam Clarke explain this as symbolic of a period of time (1,260 years) when Christians were persecuted by pagan Rome or "Christian" Rome and they fled to remote places ("the wilderness") for safety.)


      1. If these commentators are right, what does this tell us about the "remnant" idea? (The division among humans is not between pagans and Christians, rather it is between Christians who take their allegiance to God seriously and everyone else. Just as Satan gained followers among the angels of heaven, so he can gain followers among those who either claim to be or at one time were true Christians.)


  3. Characteristics of the Remnant


    1. At this point you may be scratching your head and asking yourself, "How can I be sure I'm a "remnant" person? Let's explore the remnant! Read Revelation 12:10-11. Here we see a clash between the true Christian and Satan. How do the Christians win in this conflict? (They relied on the death and resurrection of Jesus and they told others about it.)


    2. Read Revelation 12:16-17. Who made the dragon mad? (If we are right about the woman, it would be a faithful remnant.)


      1. Who, logically, would be the "offspring" of the remnant? (Those born later who were also true Christians.)


        1. Why is Satan mad at the offspring? (For the same reasons he was mad at Jesus - they are the opposition. They stand in the way of his evil plans for the earth.)


      2. Look at Revelation 12:17 again, because it gives us a very clear description of the remnant. What two characteristics do we see? (They obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.)


  4. Obeying God's Commandments


    1. If we are saved by grace, why is "obeying God's commandments" the first description of the true and faithful Christian?


      1. Why not say ( Matthew 22:37-40) "Those who love?"


      2. Why, from a "prophetic gift" point of view, are the Ten Commandments so important? (Recall that they are the "gold standard" for God's communication to humans. They are the only communication we have which was written by the hand of God. Everything else communicated by a prophet is hearsay.)


    2. I finished reading a currently popular book entitled "The Blue Parakeet." The thesis of the author is that we should understand the Bible as a story (series of stories) told by the prophets about our relationship with God. What do you think about that approach to the Bible? (The amount of "wiggle room" in this approach to understanding the Bible makes me a little nervous. I would tighten this up by saying the Bible is a series of stories to help us understand what God meant in His gold standard - the Ten Commandments.)


    3. From the Satan's point of view, why would he attack those who kept the Ten Commandments? (If you are not following God's will for your life, how are you an enemy of Satan? There is no need to fight those who are not on the field of battle against you.)


  5. Testimony of Jesus


    1. Look again at Revelation 12:17. Put yourself in John the Revelator's place. How important is the message about Jesus? (The whole point of his ministry was to persuade people that Jesus was the Messiah - Jesus is God.)


    2. What is Jesus' relationship to the Ten Commandments? (If need be, read Romans chapters 4 through 8. Without Jesus, the Ten Commandments only signify our death sentence. Through Jesus we satisfy the requirements of the Ten Commandments. Romans 5:9-19. Obeying the Ten Commandments does nothing without the rest of the story - Jesus.)


    3. Let's read a series of texts to better understand how Revelation uses this term "testimony of Jesus." Read Revelation 1:1-2, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 14:12, Revelation 17:6, Revelation 19:10, Revelation 20:4, Revelation 22:16, Revelation 22:20-21. How do you understand the meaning of the term "testimony of Jesus" after reading these verses? (These are people who are communicating Jesus' message to the world.)


      1. Did you notice Revelation 19:10 says "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." What do you understand that to mean? (In this series of lessons we learned that a prophet conveyed God's message. The remnant's testimony about Jesus is a message from God.)


    4. Read Joel 2:28-29. What does Joel prophecy about the remnant in the last days? (They are filled with the Holy Spirit. Their message about Jesus is driven by a close connection with the Holy Spirit.)


    5. Friend, would you like to be part of the remnant? Are you filled with the Holy Spirit, saved by the grace of Jesus, witnessing to what Jesus has done, and determined to live a life in obedience to God's law? How is your church? Is it Spirit filled? If your answer is not a clear, "Yes!" then will you pray right now for the Holy Spirit to come into your life and your church in power?


  6. Next week: The Inspiration of the Prophets.
* Copr. 2009, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All scripture references are to the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes the teacher uses a blackboard or some other visual aid.

Discussion

We welcome discussion of this lesson. To contribute your thoughts, click here or scroll down to the bottom of the page.

The comments below are the opinions of our readers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bruce N. Cameron or SabbathSchoolLessons.com.

Why do most mline protestants do not believe in the historisist way of interpreting eschatolical issues?
Posted by Donnie C. Lustre on Monday, January 19, 2009 at 04:29 PM
I am really interested in your sabbath school study guides.I believe it will enriched my spiritual and my family.I want to thank you for your fruitful ministry and may our good Lord continue to bless you.
Best Wishes
Ernest @ Fulton College,Fiji Islands
Posted by Ernest on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Mr. Cameron,
I enjoy your insights on the weekly lesson study.
Sometimes I even quote you. I'm sure you're aware that
Adventist's say that Ellen White is the fulfillment of the
"Spirit of prophecy". I also read your disclamer about such.
Your last comments didn't mention the Adventist view. Do
you see it differently? Bud Duncan
Posted by Bud Duncan on Friday, January 23, 2009 at 05:03 AM
Thanks Bruce by your explanation, is ever important for to inspire in me and for my testimony the word evidence of the Christ´s presence.
The principles perspectives and ideas from Christ in this lesson are:
1 - INTRODUCTION
Why so much suffering and death? What are the causes and consequences of these malignant events? Does God explain the existence of evil, death and suffering in individual, collective, universal and historic terms? How can each one and the church win the conflicts with the God’s support? How can every one identify the remnant church?
2 - THE GREAT CONTROVERSY: ACTORS, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES
Exist death and suffering because there is an actor that provokes these against God, and consequently are revealed in the every creature. Don’t forget that the consequences experienced by the human kind are experienced too by God. The human’s suffering is not belonging to himself, but yes to God, and the Divinity will solve this problem.
So, first, in spiritual life there are always actors or persons in action in high level, and the great difference between them is the capacity based in love, truth and life for to experiment everything which separated human kind from God and at same time to save from the death.
Second the spiritual life is real, between choices in freedom of life and death.
Third, God gives everyone interested the capacity to distinguish these battles, by the prophetic gift.
Fourth, the conflicts are essentially between the two actors, who reveal the actions and words, from theirs wills, powers, characters and attributes, but in the begin, in the middle and in the end only the God unique persist by himself, and all creatures and universe that depends of him.
3 - THE INDIVIDUAL, COLLECTIVE, UNIVERSAL AND HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE
The history of the great controversy began in the universe, and slowly in time concentrated it in the earth. The principal idea is the individual choice in freedom by the Christ’s life, death and resurrection, or the choice of eternal separation. Another point also important is the support by Christ for to fight against mistakes and falsehoods which separate everyone from the God’s life, true and love, in individual and collective (church) terms. It’s very important this part, because only by faith is possible Christ living inside of everyone and in the church, that’s the condition for the salvation and for the universe unity in God.
So, there are three important points in the great controversy: the individual, collective, universal and historic perspective.
4 - THE PROPHETIC GIFT
So it’s important to know the spiritual existence of the conflict, and after what happened and what will happen in human, universal and time context. The essence of the decisions in freedom is to known the advantages of the choice, from differentiation of the actors, from the consequence of the actions, words and principally from the capacity to anticipate the future and at same time to associate the past, present and future. In spiritual terms this is not possible, but it’s the unique way for to be in union with God! So, the prophetic gift gives this possibility but have a condition: only Christ can exercise this gift inside the human being. Don’t forget, it’s a decision not only to differentiate one of these actors, but the two, and for decide in time to accept the actions, word, will and character of God. Many time the Adventist people saw the prophetic gift like a pyramid where see everything around and contemplate with security and separated from the world the events. It’s wrong, the prophetic gift its a decision of the acceptance of the will, existence, character, attributes, and creator presence of God through the Christ creation, life, death, resurrection, intersection and second coming, that continues without end in the time beyond the human history, in the world and in the universe. With Christ, that exercises this speciality of faith (the prophetic gift) in the individual life of testimony, the believer with Christ think, feel and act in terms of eternity of God. The way is simple: the bible (spiritual perception), pray (reflection and decision) and testimony (eternal and infinite live with Christ, neighbour and universe).
But the humans (with similarities to God) are not the same; in conclusion have differences and diversities for to live as the Trinity. How is possible to give the same importance or participation, and at same time to make a universal spiritual union in the historic time or in the eternity? By the presence of Christ in the gifts in a body whose name is church. In conclusion, the prophetic gift gives the faculty to the church the capacity to maintain the diversity, the participation, the testimony and the union in eternity.
5 - CHRIST´S IDENTITY AND TESTIMONY
“I’m what I’m” (God) have a unique identity in the Christ’s creation, life, death, resurrection, intersection, second coming, and eternal kingdom. This is in symbolic way the Ten Commandments, or all Bible. With the decision in to accept Christ inside, the human kind accept to develop the Christ’s will, character, word and presence, in the neighbour. It’s not a wash brain, but only to know more about the Christ’s truth, love and life inside, that solve the problems of other, in a scale of the time. Here, again enter the prophetic gift in Christ, that develops in all the eternal presence of Christ. This is the truth signal of testimony: the change or the transformation in Jesus. And the continuity in time gives the change of the church in time, which meet the God´s plan for this earth and the universe, that is Christ.
I hope to see you in Christ in next sabbath!

Posted by João Cavaco (SDA Lisbon Central Church - Portugal) on Friday, January 23, 2009 at 01:34 PM
still not clear on whom the woman represents; what about the remnants of her seed ?
Posted by marlon ellison on Friday, January 23, 2009 at 09:18 PM
Hi Bruce,
I'm having an awful time with this series of studies as presented in the regular lesson study guide, but your lesson helps here give me other perspectives to talk about in Sabbath School. Fortunately, I'm not the teacher this quarter!
Posted by Carolyn Wesner on Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 09:00 AM
Dear Bud,

I agree that Ellen White is part of the "testimony of Jesus," because she testifies that Jesus is Lord. While some Adventists may think that she is the complete fulfillment of this prophecy, I do not. I don't understand the Church to have a position that she is the complete fulfillment.

My goal is to help people read and understand God's word. I'm not focused on trying to refute (or confirm) specific Adventist doctrines. There hardly seems to be any sense in having doctrines if the people do not understand the underlying teachings of the Bible.

Blessings,

Bruce
Posted by Bruce N. Cameron on Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 04:40 PM

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