Bible Study
This quarter’s lessons trace world history from God’s viewpoint, as prophecy reveals it, from the time of Christ down through the centuries to our day and beyond. God’s very nature is love, and therefore, all His acts are loving, though this fact may not always be evident to finite human beings or even angels. But God’s love is progressively revealed as the great controversy unfolds. We see its height and depth most clearly through the Cross. At Calvary, God’s love was displayed before the entire universe, when Christ poured out His life to redeem humanity, and Satan’s ultimate defeat was assured.
Yet, the battle rages on. Satan tried to destroy Jesus on the cross and, through the centuries, we see him trying to destroy God’s people. Although Satan has viciously persecuted Christ’s church and slaughtered millions, God has always been present with His people and will never leave them.
This quarter will trace the major developments in the great controversy, beginning with the rebellion in heaven. We will explore the central issues of the conflict between Christ and Satan. We will see the indomitable courage of the Waldenses despite fierce persecution, and the determination of the Reformers to follow Bible truth even in the face of torture, chains, the stake, and martyrdom.
Commenting on the faith of these spiritual giants, Ellen G. White states, “The Bible was their
authority, and by its teaching they tested all doctrines and all claims. Faith in God and His word sustained these holy men as they yielded up their lives at the stake.”—The Great Controversy, p. 249.
The Reformation kindled a torch of truth that still burns brightly. The Reformers’ bedrock faith in Scripture and their steadfast assurance of salvation by grace through faith paved the way for the rise of the Advent movement, championed by William Miller and a host of others around the world.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was raised up by God to build on the foundation laid by the Reformers in order to restore biblical truths that had been lost sight of through the centuries. Central to its mission is proclaiming the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6–12, God’s final warning to a world soon to come to an end.
This proclamation arouses the wrath of Satan, pictured as a dragon by the apostle John: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). We will also study the final events in the great controversy, including the triumph of God’s love over all the principalities and powers of hell, which ushers in the creation of new heavens and a new earth.
Though the basis of this quarter’s lessons is the Bible, we will use the book The Great Controversy, by Ellen G. White, as our thematic outline in studying this tremendous topic. The chapters on which each lesson is based are noted to facilitate its use as a companion book for further study and sharing that we all might more fully “know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph. 3:19, NKJV).
A native of Connecticut, U.S.A., Mark Finley, an internationally known evangelist, was a vice president at the General Conference from 2005 to 2010. After retiring from full-time employment, he became an assistant to the president of the General Conference. Pastor Finley and his wife, Ernestine, have three children and five grandchildren.
Read weekly lessons & lesson helps:
01 The War Behind All Wars Lesson Help Teachers Comments Mar 30 - Apr 05
02 'The Central Issue: Love or Selfishness?' Lesson Help Teachers Comments Apr 06 - Apr 12
03 Light Shines in the Darkness Lesson Help Teachers Comments Apr 13 - Apr 19
04 Standing _for the_ Truth Lesson Help Teachers Comments Apr 20 - Apr 26
05 Faith Against All Odds Lesson Help Teachers Comments Apr 27 - May 03
06 The Two Witnesses Lesson Help Teachers Comments May 04 - May 10
07 Motivated by Hope Lesson Help Teachers Comments May 11 - May 17
08 Light From the Sanctuary Lesson Help Teachers Comments May 18 - May 24
09 The Foundation of God’s Government Lesson Help Teachers Comments May 25 - May 31
10 Spiritualism Exposed Lesson Help Teachers Comments Jun 01 - Jun 07
11 The Impending Conflict Lesson Help Teachers Comments Jun 08 - Jun 14
12 Earth’s Closing Events Lesson Help Teachers Comments Jun 15 - Jun 21
13 The Triumph _of_ God’s Love Lesson Help Teachers Comments Jun 22 - Jun 28