4th Quarter 2013 Study on "The Sanctuary"

Here is the link to the 4th Quarter 2013 study for our Sabbath School discussion in preparation to our Sabbath School Class discussion in our respective churches:

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13d/

Here is the link to Lesson 1 under the title, "The Heavenly Sanctuary":

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less01.html

This link brought me straight to the lesson even thouh I use an Androit devise. Certain other links have landed me elsewhere.

Here are the links to Lessons 2 and 3:

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less02.html

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less03.html

Here is the link to Lesson 4 under the title, "Lessons From The Sanctuary":

http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less04.html

We are now on lesson #9
The Pre-Advent Judgment
http://ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less09.html





Daniel 7, which is our focus this week in our Sabbath School lesson, contains a sequence of kingdoms, symbolized by four animals, that parallels the sequence in Daniel 2: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Central in Daniel 7 is a celestial judgment scene. Not only is it central in Daniel chapter seven, it is central in the book of Daniel, both literally in the mid point of the book, as well as the central point.



"The prophecies present a succession of events leading down to the opening of the Judgment. This is especially true of the book of Daniel. GC 355



As we study, we’ll see that the judgment is good news, because our Lord God works for His people.

Mankind was condemned to death, we all stand guilty without Christ. But a way has been opened to kingdom of life through Jesus and the judgment is about establishing the final record of who has accepted that gift of salvation and escaped from death unto life.
God judges in their behalf before the on looking universe and grants them entrance into Christ’s eternal kingdom, the culmination of all their hopes as followers of the Lord.

The court scene


“the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7:10).


What emotions does this verse evoke?

Does Judgment in combination with a fiery stream, fiery flames and burning wheels sound intimidating?

Judgment also means there is a law, something which is not very popular these days. Thus people turn away from this passage as having anything to do with them, and try to interpret it as only referring to God cutting down the little horn.


People avoid talking about obedience to God's law these days because somehow obedience has been linked to legalism in the minds of many.
But didn't Jesus magnify the law, shouldn't we join Christ ( Matthew 5:17-19) in magnifying His law?

Shouldn't we be like the Psalmist and freely express our love for the law and delight in it (Psalm 119: 96-105). After all, if we love God shouldn't we also love His law, which is an extension of His character.


As another poster stated:

Fear of judgment need only arise if the professed lover of God is lukewarm towards His law. It is then that the fire of the Divine becomes a consuming fire in the final restoration. Otherwise judgment is vindication and fire is refining. God's fire either consumes sin in our lives, or it will consume the sinner in the final execution of the judgment. The redeemed will dwell in fire (in God’s presence) with joy unspeakable. The judgment separates out the people who God can trust in the Kingdom of Heaven not to incite disaffection because of discomfort with the law which they find too restrictive. In evangelism and church growth the people should not be led to believe otherwise, even as we share righteousness by faith.

From the lesson:


The concept of an investigative judgment is biblical. God’s judicial procedure often includes a phase of investigation and inquiry. A first instance is reported in Genesis 3, where God investigates before He pronounces the verdict (Gen. 3:8–19). God’s dealings with Cain (Genesis 4), Babel (Genesis 11), and Sodom (Genesis 18, 19) follow a similar pattern. We see God undertaking the same action that He requires of the judges in Israel; namely, to “investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly” (Deut. 13:14, NASB; see also Deut. 19:18).

Investigation involves deliberation and fairness. It is often public. God allows others to see for themselves what He is doing. In this way, when God announces the verdict—be it salvation or condemnation—onlookers are assured that God’s action is the best. This is exactly the reason why the heavenly judgment in Daniel 7 involves books. The books are not for God’s sake, so that He would remember more easily, but for the benefit of the celestial beings surrounding Him, who, unlike God, don’t know all things.




And here is an encouraging quote from the book Great Controversy:

A continuation of this thought from last week's lesson:

We can, indeed, draw great comfort from knowing that Jesus is now standing in the presence of God, ministering the merits of His sacrifice in our behalf. The sanctuary message offers hope and encouragement to even the weakest of His followers.

Another great connecting thought from the lesson last week:

“Jesus Christ came that He might link finite man with the infinite God, and connect earth that has been divorced by sin and transgression from heaven.”—Ellen G. White, Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 253.

Lesson 10 on "http://ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less10.html" at the following link:

http://ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less10.html

Listen to the introduction of the above listen below:

WEEK TEN | The Eschatological Day of Atonement from Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen on Vimeo.

I have been greatly blessed by the Sabbath Quarterlys lately. God has definetely placed His guidance and protection of the hearts of those who He leads to assemble the messages.

I find it most alarming that when in the Sabbath school is the only time I hear the voice of God in our churches lately, then I go into the sanctuary and hear gibberish from the hearts of men who should have the same Spirit.

Lesson #11 was a good one:

http://ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less11.html

Here also is the video intro:

WEEK ELEVEN | Our Prophetic Message from Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen on Vimeo.

Here's the link to Lesson 12 "The Cosmic Conflict Over God’s Character":

http://ssnet.org/lessons/13d/less12.html

There isn't any video intro to this one.

The hour of His judgment has come.

Why is the Investigative Judgment taking so long? Doesn't God already know who is who? If not, He surely could go much faster than this.

It's because the judgment is not for informing the divine, but for revealing to everyone else what God already knows. Only He reads the hearts, so everyone else must judge the works. But that takes time.

Why is it important that everyone makes this judgment? Because Satan's attack is fundamentally upon God's character. He claims that God is unworthy of our allegiance. And scrutinizing who God does or does not save reveals His character.

There was a huge fire in the hills just behind our house a couple of days ago. Even though we were not being evacuated, we packed our valuables as a precaution. My son packed his guitar and iPod. My daughter packed her flute and phone. My wife packed pictures. I packed books and computers. Nearly everything else was left to the flames.

What we chose to save from destruction reveals what is important to us, and that reveals what we are like. Some are musical, some are sentimental. Our choices reveal our character.

This is what God wants the universe to do. When we look into who He saves, we understand better what He is like. Then we can decide if He is worthy of our worship.

What does this mean? God has allowed Himself to be judged by His creation. The hour of HIS judgment has come. And we are the jurors. Let us be sober and vigilant, for our work demands it.