LESSON 10

September 8, 1888.

THE PURPOSE OF THE SABBATH IN THE MESSAGE.

  1. WHAT warning does the Lord send to the world, against the worship of the beast and his image? Rev. 14:9-11.
  2. How widely was the first message of this chapter announced? Verse 6.
  3. What is said of the second? Ans. — It followed. Verse 8.
  4. And what is said of the third? Ans. — The third angel followed them. Verse 9.
  5. If, then, the first one went to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, and the third one follows, what must be the extent to which the Third Angel’s Message will go?
  6. What does the first angel have to preach? Verse 6.
  7. What does this angel proclaim? Ans. — The hour of God’s judgment is come. Verse 7.
  8. What does he call upon all people to do? Ans. — “ Worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
  9. What results from the rejection of this message? Verse 8.
  10. What came of the first falling away from the everlasting gospel? Ans. — “That man of sin,” “the mystery of iniquity,” “the beast.” 2 Thess. 2:2-8; Dan. 7:11; Rev. 19:19, 20.
  11. What comes of this second falling away from the everlasting gospel? Ans. — “The image of the beast,” and the enforced worship of the beast.
  12. When men refuse to worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water, what are they led to do? Ans. — To worship the beast and his image. Rev. 13:12, 13.
  13. What then do the three messages of Rev. 14:6-12 form? Ans. — One threefold message rather than three distinct messages. See note.
  14. When the first in order tells men that the hour of God’s judgment is come, what does the third tell them to do, to be prepared for the judgment? Verse 12.
  15. What is to be the rule in the judgment? Rom. 2:12, 16.
  16. When the first angel calls upon all men to worship Him that made heaven and earth, etc., what does the third tell them to do that their worship may be acceptable to Him? and also that they may avoid the worship of the beast and his image? Rev. 14:12.
  17. Is a man’s worship acceptable to God, if he does not keep the commandments of God? Prov. 28:9.
  18. Is it possible to keep the commandments of God without faith in Jesus? Rom. 14:23, last part.
  19. Is there any part of the commandments of God that points specially to Him that made heaven and earth? Ex. 20:8-11.
  20. Therefore in the time of the preaching of the Third Angel’s Message, what will be done? Ans. — Every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people will be called upon particularly to keep the fourth commandment.
  21. What day is the Sabbath of the Lord? Ex. 20:10.
  22. Of what is it a sign? Ans — “A sign … that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Eze. 20:20.
  23. Why is it such a sign? Ans. — “For [because] in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Ex. 31:17.
  24. Then of what is the keeping of the seventh day a sign? Ans. — It is a sign that those who do so, worship the true God — “him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
  25. What is the one great question under the Third Angel’s Message? Ans. - Whether men will worship Him that made heaven and earth, or worship the beast and his image.
  26. What is the keeping of the seventh day — the Sabbath of the Lord? Ans. — It is the God-given sign that those who do so are worshipers of Him that made heaven and earth.
  27. Therefore what is the inevitable conclusion? Ans. — That the keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord —the seventh day— is the one point above every other that distinguishes the worshipers of Him that made heaven and earth from the worshipers of the beast and his image.

NOTES

The word rendered “followed,” in Rev. 14:8, 9, is akoloutheo, which means, in constructions like that in this text, “to go with.” Liddell and Scott render the word thus: “To follow one, go after or with him.” Robinson says: “To follow, to go with, to accompany anyone.” It is the same word that is used in Mark 5:24: “And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.” It is also used of the redeemed one hundred and forty-four thousand, where it is said: “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” Rev. 14:4. In both these places it is evident that the idea intended to be conveyed is that of going together, in company with. So in 1 Cor. 10:4, where we read of the children of Israel that “they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them,” the word “followed” is translated from the same Greek word, and the margin has it, “went with them.” From this we learn that the idea in Rev. 14:8, 9 is not simply that the second and third angels followed the first in point of time, but that they went with it. Therefore the second and third messages must necessarily be as widespread as the first. As a matter of fact, they are now inseparable; it is impossible properly to preach one without preaching the other two.

QUESTION 13. — It is the rejection of the first message that causes the falling away referred to in the second message. From this falling away the image of the beast and his worship are developed. And the third message warns against the worship of the beast and his image. From this it is evident that these three messages are inseparably connected, and form one threefold message.

AGAIN: The first message calls upon all men to “worship Him that made heaven and earth,” etc. Those who refuse to do this are led to worship the beast and his image. The third angel follows, warning against the worship of the beast and his image; and calls upon all men to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The fourth commandment points directly to the worship of Him who made heaven and earth; and this is the very thing which the first message calls upon men to do. Therefore it is certain that these three messages are but one threefold message. They are three only in the order of their rise. But having risen, they go on together and are inseparable.

Updated: